Vineet gets jiggy with the sharara; Tarun falls in love with Mangalgiris; Rina takes a trip back to the 90s and Anupamaas naughty cholis were a riot
By Asmita Aggarwal
It had to be the soul-stirring music of Kamal Amrohis classic Pakeezah, an ode to unrequited love immortalising his wife Meena Kumari as a tragedy queen, which served as a perfect background to designer Vineet Bahls aut-winter line Utsav on Day 1 of the WIFW 2014.
I think, it is great to be in a happy state of mind, it is a concept which has fascinated me, so I wanted a line which has lots of colour and my effort was to add a bit of that free-spirited joy in the ensembles, says Bahl, who launched his label five years back.
And for a flawless drape it was a mix of georgette and tussar, which falls brilliantly with a blending of Tanchoi, brocade, silk and Benaresis. Indo-Western is a much abused term, but it is also quite relevant today. How much can I Indianise? is a dilemma only an Indian woman faces, no other woman has this kind of a unique problem, he says with a smile.
Maybe thats why his ode to muddy hues with hints of mint green, sunshine yellows, powder blue and salmon pink embroidery made it a show to remember. The churidars had been transformed into nifty hot pants and the palazzos were falling way above the ankle. I wanted the silhouettes to be simple as the drape will then light up, I dont like the whole OTT culture, so balance, fit and finish is crucial, he adds.
If Vineet courted latitude, Rina Dhaka went sheer in a re-run of the 90s, with colour blocking, digital prints with patchwork. Most of the knits in her line were developed in Ludhiana, with a palette that ranged from ivory, khakhi, burnt orange to black with silver. I have a weakness for stretch, so I amalgamated it with cotton for comfort, but got a bit of drama in with jersey and tussar, she says.
Mostly A-line silhouettes, Rinas long peek-a-boo sheer maxis, block printed skirts and waistcoat dresses were fun and flirty.
Interestingly, what stole the limelight was Anupamaa Dayals naughty choli blouses, which managed to accentuate the bust of even dusky beauty Rachel, in a line aptly titled Kamasutra. Taking a trip 4,000 years back to Rishi Vatsayanas tribute to love making, Anupamaas big and bold flowers, overpowering gotta and sassy waistbelts (kamarbands) along with sensual hipster saris made it a libidinous line. Kamasutra is not just a sex manual, it is more about romance; what I love about it is that it empowers women to be a master of their desires, says Anupamaa.
That fiery-ness got reflected in her spicy colours of red for celebration and green for fertility, which elevated her epicurean drapes that ended with marigold flower garland inspired tassels. It was heartening to see the extensive use of Chanderi, tangail, appliqué and of course the lungi drape.
But talking of drapes, the master himself set the rhythm of the day with his sheer lungi skirts, dhoti pants and jersey drape saris. Tarun Tahiliani showed that he loves the real India by introducing Mangalgiris and adding endearing touches like embroidered shawl collars on his anarkalis. I wanted to show 21st century India through this amazing book I had read, Capital by Rana Dasgupta, it was a game changer for me, he says.
His love was luxe was evident with Jamevars and Coco Chanels discovery, the tweed which he metamorphosised into blouses with his heritage saris fastened with zardosi belts. Though his signature jewelled necklines, admiration for gold lame, Chikankari, exotic weaves (Kanjeevaram) and dusky models came through quite clearly. I like the way the whole tone-on-tone thing plays out; it has this marvelous subtlety which has this irresistible lure, he laughs.
A fitting end to the show came with the washboard abs queen, Bollywood dreamboat Shilpa Shetty in a Kanjeevaram skirt teamed up with an amorous choli followed by Harman Baweja in a natty bandhgala.
