It was heart warming to see designer Nikhil Mehras better-half Vidushi flaunting a traditional, black sari accentuated with dull gold motifs, at her husbands Couture Week showing at the Taj Mahal hotel on a rainy Saturday evening. The sari is certainly not dead. And for the duo Shantanu and Nikhil, it has now got a new-age avatar, as it gets teamed up with a metallic draped blouse.
Controlled surfacing, a fine balance between silhouette, textures and embroideries, the line complemented the emotional theme, of a woman who despite social pressures, is strong enough to hold her own, in a line aptly titled Shes the One?, an ode to women power!
Harsh at times, and more individualistic, it was quite a change from Perfume, their last showing which was more feminine and flowy.
Gotta patti created a 3D visual imagery, jagged edges, embroidery with a metallic sheen added to the central theme. We draped the hemlines and kept the waists cinched, says Shantanu.
With the avalanche of gowns, you would have thought India is somewhere missing, but it was beautifully represented, with handloom jacquards, brocade and silk chiffons, which found a perfect soulmate in Chantilly lace.
What was stunning was the hurricane ruffle effect on shoulders, but Shantanu is clear that haute couture is not restricted to the bride, therefore his line had more of a cocktail flavour. We do a lot of destination weddings and some of the pieces that you see here like the salmon pink gown, if the exaggeration is removed, will do very well for that market, he explains.