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
In the brave new world sometimes the old becomes the new, and in his usual, majestic style on a rainy day in the capital city, replete with traffic jams, guests braved to see Tarun Tahiliani, open the FDCI India Couture Week 2022, in association with Lotus Make-Up.
The veteran designer known for his diaphanous drapes, displayed his love for Indian craftsmanship and paid homage to his admiration for hand painting, with interesting washes as glamour met heritage and elegance. The beauty of a physical show is the expanse it offers, the multiple level seating, the stairs leading up to the carpeted runway reminding you of a classic Hollywood movie at Hyatt Regency. It was a glimpse of unadulterated luxury for a crisp audience, which has been longing for some excitement away from viewing couch couture from their smartphones.
Real engagement is when you see, observe and delight in the opulence created with a more than 50-piece showcasing, and each chikankari flower that found its way on a structured jacket made with more 200-man hours was a treat for those who cant get enough of shine. Lace and sheer sleeves, muted pastels trails and his classic ultra-glam skirts with corsets, draped dhotis in gold dust, were all executed in his signature style.
Chikankari pleated kurtas in sky blues, ivory satin blouses, the trick was to push forward sophistication in the flavours of coffee, sparkling with geometric embroideries. Known for its big and bold jewellery Goenka India, added their lustrous touch with polki belts, glittering emeralds, statement-y rubies as the mood celebrated abundance, and baby pink floral fishtail lehengas glistened in the spotlight.
The noteworthy innovations included brocade pants for men, then came the womens duppattas attached to blouses, mixing simple touches with extraordinary presentations, so that the bride doesnt have to manage the excess fabric and can just dance the night away. Lace and net veils replaced the double duppattas and traditional cholis made way for criss-cross halters targeted for the NRI bride, who wants some cool in her D-Day dressing.
No show is complete without the ubiquitous sharara and TT added an extra flair to welcome the festive season, as coppery hues along with traditional womens chunni-styled on mens sherwanis in charcoal, created gender fluidity. Black combined with velvet, seemed perfect for an Indian groom as the designer added diversity on the runway with his ode to older, greying men, who are breaking the marriageable age stereotype. Indian weddings and their love for the ceremonious red, especially sindoori emblazoned with salma-sitara was omnipresent along with deep, warm maroon lehengas. Everything that TT does is drenched in shimmer, there is no shying away from the fact that shine is coming back to our lives with the pandemic ebbing.