Just like Gulzar sahibs poetry, Swanand Kirkires haunting melody in Bawra Mann or Sudhir Mishras intense film Hazaron Khwahishen Aisi, Vineet Bahls chikankari was moving. Shunning a colonized attitude that all things Western are cool, Vineet stuck to what he is good at, Indian silhouettes to which he added his ingenious touch, by making them ultra feminine, taking the traditional threadwork to new heights in ivory, on georgette.
He accessorized his block prints, naqsh embroidery, kalidar kurtas, rich jacquards, Awadh-inspired loose shalwars, georgette angarakhas, net ghagras with hath phools, nose rings and ghungroos worn on the lithe ankles setting the mood, taking you on a nostalgic trip down to the era of Mughals.
If Vineet revived a classic story, Mumbai-based glamourista Surily Goel added a dash of fun with Bollywood heart warmer Preity Zinta, who in a sequinned gown, with an Angelina Jolie style, thigh baring stance, made sure she posed for shutterbugs and flashed them a megawatt smile.
Autumn-winter got a dash of neon with Neena Guptas talented daughter Masaba, who dazzled the catwalk with her lipstick prints, made famous by style chameleon Sonam Kapoor and the much-talked about sari she wore. The side slit, floor caressing dresses were endearing, and the parrot green eye hues popping, as she dabbled in a bit of monochromes which always make a huge visual impact with the winning combination; in a line that was much like Masaba, young and peppy. The telephone prints, ink drips and Eiffel saris were accessorized with printed suitcases and tangerine hold-alls. My mom taught me the finer nuances of a sari, I learnt to appreciate the drape from her, she my school of fashion, gushed Masaba.
Though Masaba will tell you that each iconography has a meaning to it; the lipstick symbolises the SP Girl, telephone in many ways represents the wait in her life, ink splatter is constant change, abstract prints is all about confusion and the turmoil she faces while growing up and ink drips, is the constant flow. I wanted to keep silhouettes clean and basic, too much tailoring scares away people. So there were French dresses, shifts and saris, the idea was to take forward Satya Pauls ideology, neon and monochromes were the way to go, admits Masaba.
Nikasha, on the other hand, heralded the return of the churi sleeves, with an extensive use of Benarasi brocade, as her watermelon pinks and crimson-inclined purples lit up her tissue saris, dupion tunics and easy going Patialas.
With a Frida Kahlo-esque fashion shoot, with the unibrow on Indrani Dasgupta and the extravagant headgear, for Anupama Dayal, she remains an iconic figure, who has withstood the test of time. Anupama takes pride in being a Bengali, so you see a fine representation of handlooms from that region, but it was Delhis cultural resonance that she found fascinating. Ive been living here for the last 12 years, and I wanted to dip into Islamic art, that has a rich past. I did the Mughal buti jaal, shararas, pajymas with gheras and the ornate odhinis, she explains.
The Mughal flower has become a part of her design dictionary and even though Anupama believes her aquamarine skirts, dhoti trousers, Sultana trousers, Iris prints and striped pajymas are more for a beach bride, who with a bit of layering can wear them to resort destinations like Goa, Ibiza and Bali. Delhis past hasnt got its due, this was my attempt at making it mainstream, she concludes.