Abu-Sandeep's triumph of love

Abu-Sandeep’s triumph of love

Their mission is to elevate craft to art, like they did with Chikankari, or mirror work, added white to couture; for 38 years Abu-Sandeep have been the undisputed frontrunners of luxury. They brought ASAL and MARD to Delhi for the first time at Hyundai ICW 2024. By Asmita Aggarwal It ...
Tiger Tales

Tiger Tales

Couturier Rahul Mishra is a conversation starter, a dialogue initiator that’s why couture for him is about a narrative that transcends the discussion about silhouettes, shapes or forms. ICW 2023 was an ode to sequins, flowers and the king of the jungle!  By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Khadi Sutra

Khadi Sutra

His take on the South Indian Mundu with the woven border kara, pleasing monochromes, delectable stripes, and restrained shine, just like the couturier Rajesh Pratap Singh was befitting at his first outing, redefining luxury at ICW 2023. By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Pearls of Wisdom

Pearls of Wisdom

Dolly J uses the radiance of pearls to add glow to her army of gowns, as couture transcends from glitter to subtle. By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Aroma of Roses

Aroma of Roses

Isha J debuts with a line with the perfect showstopper the curvaceous Vani Kapoor, displaying a collection that combined Chikankari with lace, and of course ‘sinful’ washboard abs. By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Layered Intrusions

Layered Intrusions

Serenading layering, separates and fluidity the market-savvy brothers Shantnu and Nikhil, complete 24 years with almost 16 stores domestically. At ICW they managed to add dollops of deliciousness with Aditya Roy Kapur and the pint sized beauty  Sara Ali Khan. But the coup was Nikhil Mehra’s 16-year-old son Vivhan, making his ...
Wizards of Time

Wizards of Time

From ‘Fibonacci’ to ‘Equinox’, the admiration for Maths and its lasting solutions have fascinated the duo, who have been on this creative journey together for 25 years, and counting. ICW 2023 was about romancing 3D embroideries and just like their themes, the precision it echoes, is mirrored in cuts. By ...
Artist at Work

Artist at Work

No artificial intelligence here, just plain, old techniques that still capture the essence of luxury, controlling materials which have a mind of their own is Rimzim Dadu’s specialty. By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Elegance in motion

Elegance in motion

Even though nothing is for ‘Eternity”, in this ephemeral human world, except change, whether it is love or integrity, Tarun Tahiliani proves, it can be, with an unmatched ode to elegance, in his distinct style, urging us to “love and relove” at ICW 2023.  By Asmita Aggarwal ...
The World Within

The World Within

Anamika’s 25 year journey has been one of revelation and grandeur, this year too, she brings alive the magic of zardosi and pearls her two constant companions, expressions of love, with some unadulterated charm added by the lithe Athiya Shetty. By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Past Is Now

Past Is Now

The past always finds an embellished way to catch up with the present in J J Valaya’s offerings which came drizzling with Sufi music by a live band headed by Sahil Vasudeva and of course some embroidered swans frolicking on midnight blue lehengas. By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Religion of Clothing

Religion of Clothing

Festive chocolates, décor, precious jewellery (in the future), to designing lights, Kunal Rawal is a lot more than his first love -- menswear and of course Bollywood sizzler Ranbir Kapoor his show stealer at the ICW 2023. By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Layering Thoughts

Layering Thoughts

Vedas to swishing sculpted gowns, Gaurav Gupta can make the twain meet, just like his showstopper Jahanvi K., who’s hybrid heritage makes a winning statement. By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Floriography

Floriography

Varun Bahl believes couture must appeal to a woman who is aware, responsible, and wants to be original in thought and choice of occasion clothing. Though his love for flowers remains constant, just like his passion for monochromes. By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Romantacy

Romantacy

From friendships to shine, Suneet Varma is a bundle of commitments and never shies away from either risqué bustiers, nor fiery reds. By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Wooed by Nostalgia

Wooed by Nostalgia

Couture reflects changing cultural norms, Ritu Kumar, and son Amrish, believe fine craftsmanship and customisation makes this genre a powerhouse. By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Glittering Plumes

Glittering Plumes

The Peacocks—Shane and Falguni offer brides a commitment to unabashed shine, they unleash a rush of blush pinks and a deluge of crystals, as the lissom Kiara Advani takes centre stage! By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Royal Hues

Royal Hues

From the Taj Mahal, Shekhawati, Qutab Minar to the banks of the river Sabarmati and the historic Port Jail in Goa, the FDCI has effortlessly paid a tribute to traditional techniques, by synchronizing them with presentations at unforgettable heritage sites.  By Asmita Aggarwal ...
‘Freedom’ is luxury

‘Freedom’ is luxury

Anamika Khanna celebrates life with fine details and a focus on interpreting her past offerings with a new, invigorating twist By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Creating Waves

Creating Waves

Engineered clothing, ten years and some gravity-defying shapes by Amit Aggarwal made couture fantastical! By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Beyond the Lines

Beyond the Lines

Self-care takes precedence over perfect fits as Kunal’s 14 different personality inspirations find a “you” in his 15 th year, as brocade takes centerstage at his ICW 2022 showcasing. By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Taking Flight

Taking Flight

Diamond veils, faux feathers and signature ruffles, the Peacocks, Shane and Falguni paid homage to unfettered sparkle. By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Athleisure meets Luxury

Athleisure meets Luxury

As the line between active wear and luxury blurs Siddartha Tytler combines glamour with functionality By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Designed to Dazzle

Designed to Dazzle

Red was the mood elevator, as Suneet Varma made his dhotis and shararas ultra-modern by creating ingenious silhouettes. By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Gold Coast

Gold Coast

Molten gold meets soulfulness in Dolly J’s couture, as she ends size-ism offering multiple usability as Shilpa Shetty tells us "beware curves ahead"! By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Golden Ratio

Golden Ratio

Leonardo Pisano Fibonacci Maths forms the basis of a collection by Rohit Gandhi and Rahul Khanna as they pay homage to algorithms through cutwork, straight lines and modern art, dressing the destination bride, with some glamorous help from Malaika Arora By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Without Reservations

Without Reservations

Anju Modi sets the bride free with ankle-length lehengas, replaces reds with pomegranates, ivories with purple and pours the essence of her 32-year-long travels into a melting pot of cultures with an immersive show at ICW 2022. By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Into the Wild

Into the Wild

The vast Amazon rainforest and its unique character serves as a metaphor for Varun Bahl as couture is back to where it began-simple, reusable, and versatile. By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Seat of the Soul

Seat of the Soul

Spain meets Indian craftsmanship - Valaya completes 30 years with his favourites--chevron, family, fashion fraternity, grandness as Indian tunes merge with Western classical on a cobbled runway resembling a vintage courtyard at his show titled “Alma”. By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Heartbeat of trees

Heartbeat of trees

It is toss up who loves Rahul Mishra more ---the French or the Italians, as the designer courts both with ease! But the Tree Of Life, his latest ode to modernity teaches us that spirituality and nature can be our only saviours in a distressed world, and of course, gold ...
Find Your Shine

Find Your Shine

Chunni-style drapes, brocades for men, lessons in history and some serious luminosity TT-style, marked the opening of the ICW 2022, with "Painterly Dream". By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Wizards of Design

Wizards of Design

Live piano, six style gurus, fame, awards and a whole lot of mingling made the first historic Couture Hall of Fame awards, by FDCI, a runaway success  ...
The Admiral’s Son

The Admiral’s Son

Weightless is the new language of instruction, as couture swings in the direction of opulence minus cult musings, power posing, flurry of feathers or inventive iterations, just mixing craftsmanship with a Tarun Tahiliani brand of realism   ...
Sea Change

Sea Change

Gaurav Gupta has studied the “Undercurrent” like no one else and decided not to swim against the tide. His couture is lighter, subtler and unfussy, armed with his new offering of shiny baubles and sharp tailoring to create an awakening for those who possess an undeniable mystique ...
Goodwill Hunting

Goodwill Hunting

A precious jewellery line, stores in Delhi and Mumbai, and a Peacock Foundation that will give scholarships to the poor, Shane and Falguni are ready to ace the game! ...
Runaway Bride

Runaway Bride

Shirt-like lehengas, meet handwoven chanderi displaying a shift to new vicissitudes as Reynu traverses to the other side with veils and net  with “Savannah Saga” ...
Forever starts tonight

Forever starts tonight

Florals, Florence, and flounce, these aptly describe what the duo from Ahmedabad, Shyamal and Bhumika bring to the wedding table ...
City of Light

City of Light

Banaras, the sacred city, alive with the world’s within, serves as the leitmotif for Sulakshana Monga as the ICW line is redolent with cultural landscapes ...
Living Light

Living Light

From studying folds to becoming obsessed with Origami, Ankon Mitra’s 400 kg installation art, mirroring astute paper sculptures danced with unabashed abandon at ICW 2019 ...
Grace of Monaco

Grace of Monaco

The love for genda phool and pure nature gets a new canvas; abandoning geometry after three years Rahul Mishra pays homage to Monaco, not the elitist grand prix or Grimaldis, but humble unforgettables ...
House of Worth

House of Worth

Debutants Pankaj and Nidhi go back in time to Christian-Greek period of Rome to dig out treasures creating splendour with Trapunto quilting and hand-cut appliqués, their two signatures which have found a place of pride in their first couture offering ...
Art Spirit

Art Spirit

Being a trained artist thinking visually comes naturally to Suneet Varma. This ICW 2019 he introduces icy hues to capture hearts and craft a wonder book filled with spiritual literacy ...
Gray’s Anatomy

Gray’s Anatomy

3D, inner recesses of the subconscious Carl Jung mind, invisible relationships and Banarasi weaves were all interwoven with the warp and weft of engineered modernity in Amit Aggarwal’s iridescent flavours at ICW 2019 By Asmita Aggarwal ...
The Grand Inquisitor

The Grand Inquisitor

Whether it was abuse of absolute power or political intrigue, the Czars of Russia who ruled for more than a 1,000 years courted decadence like no other. It is this Byzantine influence in Rastrelli’s Winter Palace or the sheer grandeur in the neo-classical St Isaac’s cathedral and a lot more ...
Fragrant Memory

Fragrant Memory

The density of the colours, and the smell of a fresh garden of roses came alive with Varun Bahl straying from convention by reinventing the kurti as he reassembles European architecture through potent and distinctly white imagery. By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Artisanal Ephemera

Artisanal Ephemera

Uzbeki Suzanis form a backdrop for Harpreet and Rimple Narula’s ICW 2016 line where Islamic art becomes a leitmotif for creative expression as Gulzar saheb's voice reverberates soothingly in the background. By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Valley of pleasure

Valley of pleasure

Whether it was Sahib Jan played by Meena Kumari in Kamal Amorhi’s unforgettable Pakeezah or Umaro Jaan by the lithe-footed Rekha, the tales of unrequited love and courtesans have lived on in our collective memories. It is this ethos that gets recreated through Tarun Tahiliani’s ode to the woman, who dances despite ...
A few good women

A few good women

Juliana, 18, is all heart as the first-timer at ICW 2016 from Brazil, the land of beauties, hopes to emulate her idol Adriana Lima. By Asmita Aggarwal ...
A Beautiful Mind

A Beautiful Mind

She is a classical dancer, will launch her music album soon, but Saloni an engineer by education and model by profession will charm you with her intelligence rather than her lithe frame. By Asmita Aggarwal ...
I DON'T DO FASHION, I AM FASHION

I DON’T DO FASHION, I AM FASHION

The grandeur and scale of AICW2015 was unprecedented and the curtains came down on some of the finest fashion the country has ever witnessed. Couture took centre stage, but it wasn't just design that caught our attention; from the sets, the organisation, to the pre and post events, everything was ...
Celebrity Show Stoppers

Celebrity Show Stoppers

A bevy of Bollywood beauties took to the runway at Amazon India Couture Week. Celebrity showstoppers add a touch of glamour to the model line up and are always a treat to watch. This season, we saw some of the biggest names in the movies fly to the Capital to lend ...
Hair and Beauty trends

Hair and Beauty trends

Clothes are just half the story, every season ushers in a fresh set of beauty trends to keep one in vogue. Hair and make up play key roles in making one stylish. Not only is it fun to play mix and match, but simple sweeps of a brush can do ...
WALK THIS WAY

WALK THIS WAY

Floral inspiration led Manav Ganwani to curate and design  a collection of ball gowns and evening wear that was both feminine and elegant ...
FILMY FASHION

FILMY FASHION

Debarun's fashionable retrospective of style in cinema was a complete filmy show, much to the delight of his audience ...
The Grand Finale

The Grand Finale

Manish Malhotra's show Couture Soiree was a befitting finale to a week of stylish haute couture and high fashion at Amazon India Couture Week ...
PRINCESS OF STYLE

PRINCESS OF STYLE

In a muted but rich colour palette, designer Reynu Taandon presented a quintessentially traditional collection inspired by the sartorial spender of Persia ...
DRAMATIC DESIGN

DRAMATIC DESIGN

Simplicity and elegance was a key theme in the 'Maharadjah & Co' collection. Designer's Rimple and Harpreet Narula took a minimalist approach to traditional Indian silhouettes, rather than going with over the top embellishments and zardozi chose to use subtle crystals and muted tones ...
IT'S SHOWTIME

IT’S SHOWTIME

There's no business like show business; and in the fashion space it's the choreographer who runs the show. A candid conversation with Aparna Bahl reveals the colossal task that goes on behind the scenes ...
Passion for Fashion

Passion for Fashion

Her love for her work shines through as designer Reynu Taandon gives us an insight to her couture 2015 collection ...
Man of the Moment

Man of the Moment

Despite being the biggest name in the Indian fashion industry with world wide recognition, Manish Malhotra's humble and modest demeanour are his biggest assets ...