Sabyasachi Mukherjee plays to the gallery with his ode to the city of glassware, Ferozabad, in a line where translucence meets unrestrained opulence
By Asmita Aggarwal
He is the undisputed Raja of dazzle and when Sabyasachi Mukherjee comes armoured with shine for the India Couture Week 2014 show, he wins hearts with his line drenched in Indian textiles and crafts, presented albeit in a contemporary way. Brides want something new yet conventional, finding that balance is what works, says Sabyasachi with a weak smile, as he is still recovering from hospitalisation after his vital stats dipped below danger levels last week.
Presenting Ferozabad his moody line it had all the makings of a blockbuster with a train compartment ornate set, where things were not static, and it reflected the movement he is known to add in his elaborate clothes, when he opted for live models chatting as he took us down memory lane to a time where grandiosity was the buzzword. The set which took more than 24 hours to make and months to conceptualise, mirrored Sabyas obsession with perfection and overt resplendence. And if you have a supporter like Bollywoods queen Rani Mukherjee on the front row, you are bound to be a show-stealer.
Opting for hand cut crystals and beads, Sabya took couture a notch higher with his delicate touches, Banaresi sleeves on mens natty bandhgalas, paying tribute to a slew of crafts—from Kashmiri and Parsi embroidery, Kantha and appliqué as he mixed it up innovatively with Pashmina shawls draped carefully on canvas bandhgalas, canvas being his new love besides brocade and patchwork. Canvas is considered rough mostly used for sports shoes; it was a challenge that I took up to make it acquiescent to colour and embroidery, says Sabya.
Florals have been a constant in my line, they are somewhat pure and untouched which is what makes them appealing as they dont lose their charm, so easily, says Sabya as he sent down models in an array of muted flowers printed on blazers even as his love for zardosi, the star of many a couture weeks hasnt faded with an Agra-esque rendition on super fitted jackets.There was a fair representation given to the times of decadence with his 20s flapper dresses, what was interesting were the shimmering bijoux gilets, godet skirts forming a perfect circle, as he kept half the sleeve shiny of his vintage-y sherwanis and revved it up with 18 carat gold buttons hoping to make a lasting impression.