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I am greedy for crafts: Valaya

I am greedy for crafts: Valaya

Army mom, Rajasthani crafts, travel and love for the East, forms the basis of Valaya's ICW line replete with motifs of the Balkans to his ideology --a "royal nomad". By Asmitaa Aggaarwal J J Valaya was born in Rajasthan, Jodhpur, a fauji kid who travelled all over the country Lucknow, Chandigarh, Pune, ...
I was a rebel, out to prove a point: Rimzim

I was a rebel, out to prove a point: Rimzim

Age and time have taught Rimzim Dadu the importance of merging commerce with fantasy, this year her Banjara tribal jewellery inspired chainmail dress took one month to execute, just like her rejigged sari not swathed in metres of fabric-happily crisp. By Asmitaa Aggaarwal Once upon a time Rimzim Dadu’s steel ...
Upcycled Shimmer

Upcycled Shimmer

Hyderabad has emerged as a competition to Delhi-Mumbai for couture, even though the lawyer turned designer believes going green can be possible in couture! By Asmitaa Aggaarwal She is a lawyer, who always had an interest in environmental law, and decided to mix her two passions –legal eye with fashion ...
Bihar to custodian of Bal’s legacy

Bihar to custodian of Bal’s legacy

Tasnim Fraze, creative director Rohit Bal, brings garden of flowers from Kashmir in Matka silks and poetic khadi for ICW 2025. By Asmitaa Aggarwal It is quite a larger-than-life legacy of the iconic Rohit Bal to carry on his nimble shoulders but Tasnim Fraze, believes, “It’s an honour and a ...
Choli out, sharara-peplum blouse in: Jayanti Reddy

Choli out, sharara-peplum blouse in: Jayanti Reddy

Banarasi weave interpretation is loved by South brides, for Jayanti Reddy Hyderabad has become a nerve center for couture. By Asmitaa Aggaarwal She comes from the city of pearls, and Hyderabadi elegance, known for her love for Birdi craft that she resuscitated, but in the last 13 years in fashion ...
Insta helps boost revenue, says Nikhil Mehra

Insta helps boost revenue, says Nikhil Mehra

Gender fluid Shiva-Shakti has been a leitmotif for Nikhil Mehra as the younger brother in the duo Shantanu-Nikhil confirms menswear is where the real game is now! By Asmitaa Aggaarwal For 25 years now Nikhil Mehra, the younger sibling of the duo Shantnu and Nikhil has been on a trek, ...
Little birdie told me…

Little birdie told me…

 Swans as headdresses, garnets, and pearl wraps instead of cholis and of course the iconic ‘mover and shaker’ Helen on Monica Oh My darling, made Suneet accentuate all his first loves at ICW 2025. By Asmitaa Aggaarwal For many years one has noticed “dancing designers” the one famous for his enviable moves, ...
Tara Sutaria swathed in gold

Tara Sutaria swathed in gold

Organza-lace saris, to jewel tones, Isha Jajodia’s Roseroom, channels femininity to self-love and frees you from weighty embellishment as her 18 k gold plated corsets tell us heavy metal is in! By Asmitaa Aggarwal It was a set that kept the mood light and frothy—white, lace, dimly lit, as velvety ...
FSP's brides court shine

FSP’s brides court shine

What lights up a dull, dark rainy day? Heartthrob Vicky Kaushal, for sure, as Falguni and Shane Peacock didn’t shy away as usual from shine, all kinds of it, as well as clashing colours, but added Banarasis to celebrate two decades of making brides sparkle, presenting "Rang Mahal" at the ...
Hardware to Soft Wear

Hardware to Soft Wear

Rimzim Dadu shifts gears and adds motifs, inspired by Baroque, Western classical music, and architecture, to give intrepid women a flavour of innovative material manipulations.    By Asmita Aggarwal Engineered gowns, signature metal saris, couture has a different meaning for Rimzim Dadu, it is more of a play of textures, ...
Gaurav Gupta's ode to Indology

Gaurav Gupta’s ode to Indology

Gaurav Gupta is a man who vacillates between the ancient past and the ultra-modern—from “Shunya” to “Kundalini” to now “Arunodaya”, or dawn, for India Couture Week 2024, he is in awe of scriptures. He has not forgotten the power of AI in the past, when he teamed up with tech ...
Nizams Reloaded

Nizams Reloaded

Basra pearls, Banarasis, Khada duppattas with ultra-modern corsets, Jayanti Reddy, a business graduate, self-taught designer, offers brides a potent mix of traditional with “now” at the Hyundai India Couture Week 2024. The highlight has been her collaboration with Italian jewellery powerhouse-Bvlgari. By Asmita Aggarwal One thing is clear Jayanti Reddy ...
Rahul Mishra's Valley of Daffodils

Rahul Mishra’s Valley of Daffodils

Flower power never loses its prowess, and Rahul Mishra at Hyundai ICW 2024, made sure the embroidered dupattas were unisex, the pants-suit is now out of the boardroom and frolicking at a cocktail party in a line titled, “Nargis”. By Asmita Aggarwal Nargis or daffodil is a lively yellow flower, ...
Game of Time

Game of Time

Amit Aggarwal serenades the impossibility, linearity, unpredictability of time and maybe tide, through his show as the past (cotton) meets the present (nylon), through his newly created fabric this season for Hyundai India Couture Week 2024. By Asmita Aggarwal When I watched the Amit Aggarwal show at the India Couture ...
Valaya's Flying Carpets

Valaya’s Flying Carpets

From embroideries inspired by Mughal miniature paintings, big, broad embroidered belts cinching Sherwanis to reinventing the humble shalwar, cherry red lehengas to lighter chevron palazzos, J J Valaya redefined bridal wear. By Asmita Aggarwal It was the music directed, produced by Sahil Vasudeva, at the J J Valaya ICW 2024 ...
Dolly J's Midas Touch

Dolly J’s Midas Touch

Body positivity, 3D motifs and inventing a new fabric, which rustles like paper but is organza, made Dolly J’s ICW 2024 show, feel like a bouquet of roses. By Asmita Aggarwal Actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha’s wife Poonam, came to support her newly married daughter Sonakshi, in a woven sari. The set was ...
Kunal pursues Patolas

Kunal pursues Patolas

Kunal Rawal introduces Patola-inspired weave for grooms, turning tables on  traditionality; he serenades us with denim dhotis, and comfort, to make sure reusability, and functionality co-exist at ICW 2024. By Asmita Aggarwal Remember Ranbir Kapoor’s hybrid dhoti, well, Kunal Rawal is the one to take risks. Even though he is young ...
Tytler's Echoes of Roman Grandeur

Tytler’s Echoes of Roman Grandeur

Taking us back in time, to the Roman empire, replete with its imposing iconography, Siddartha Tytler’s dark, grand line played with asymmetry, sheer and glimmering rhinestones at the ICW 2024.   By Asmita Aggarwal He is the quintessential Mr Handsome Rahul Khanna, it has a lot to do with his ...
Suneet Varma's ode to shine

Suneet Varma’s ode to shine

 Mirror work, to mokaish, shimmer has always been the highlight of Suneet Varma's oeuvre, even as the designer, who was trained by Yves Saint Laurent announces, there is nothing better than being in the spotlight on your D-Day at ICW 2024! By Asmita Aggarwal What I really look forward to in ...
Here’s a glimpse of Roseroom by Isha Jajodia @roseroom official at the Hyundai India Couture Week 2024 on 25th July.Presenting “Art of Eternity” a love story whispered in lace and meticulou

Roses with lace for Isha Jajodia

Lace and Chikankari make a heady combo, as Isha of Rose Room woos brides with a softer, lighter full skirt, with just charming hints of shimmer for ICW 2024. By Asmita Aggarwal Black, lace and Jackie! There seems to be nothing better than this, add a top bun to this ...
Tiger Tales

Tiger Tales

Couturier Rahul Mishra is a conversation starter, a dialogue initiator that’s why couture for him is about a narrative that transcends the discussion about silhouettes, shapes or forms. ICW 2023 was an ode to sequins, flowers and the king of the jungle!  By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Khadi Sutra

Khadi Sutra

His take on the South Indian Mundu with the woven border kara, pleasing monochromes, delectable stripes, and restrained shine, just like the couturier Rajesh Pratap Singh was befitting at his first outing, redefining luxury at ICW 2023. By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Layered Intrusions

Layered Intrusions

Serenading layering, separates and fluidity the market-savvy brothers Shantnu and Nikhil, complete 24 years with almost 16 stores domestically. At ICW they managed to add dollops of deliciousness with Aditya Roy Kapur and the pint sized beauty  Sara Ali Khan. But the coup was Nikhil Mehra’s 16-year-old son Vivhan, making his ...
Artist at Work

Artist at Work

No artificial intelligence here, just plain, old techniques that still capture the essence of luxury, controlling materials which have a mind of their own is Rimzim Dadu’s specialty. By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Elegance in motion

Elegance in motion

Even though nothing is for ‘Eternity”, in this ephemeral human world, except change, whether it is love or integrity, Tarun Tahiliani proves, it can be, with an unmatched ode to elegance, in his distinct style, urging us to “love and relove” at ICW 2023.  By Asmita Aggarwal ...
The World Within

The World Within

Anamika’s 25 year journey has been one of revelation and grandeur, this year too, she brings alive the magic of zardosi and pearls her two constant companions, expressions of love, with some unadulterated charm added by the lithe Athiya Shetty. By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Past Is Now

Past Is Now

The past always finds an embellished way to catch up with the present in J J Valaya’s offerings which came drizzling with Sufi music by a live band headed by Sahil Vasudeva and of course some embroidered swans frolicking on midnight blue lehengas. By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Layering Thoughts

Layering Thoughts

Vedas to swishing sculpted gowns, Gaurav Gupta can make the twain meet, just like his showstopper Jahanvi K., who’s hybrid heritage makes a winning statement. By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Wooed by Nostalgia

Wooed by Nostalgia

Couture reflects changing cultural norms, Ritu Kumar, and son Amrish, believe fine craftsmanship and customisation makes this genre a powerhouse. By Asmita Aggarwal ...
The Grand Inquisitor

The Grand Inquisitor

Whether it was abuse of absolute power or political intrigue, the Czars of Russia who ruled for more than a 1,000 years courted decadence like no other. It is this Byzantine influence in Rastrelli’s Winter Palace or the sheer grandeur in the neo-classical St Isaac’s cathedral and a lot more ...
Soul Calling

Soul Calling

Manav Gangwani combined all the elements of glamour, a Bollywood beauty, classical music and exuberance to create his ICW 2016 line, which was a tribute to a friend, Zainab, who worked for UNAIDS and died young. By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Science of flattery

Science of flattery

Gaurav Gupta’s eponymous gowns which have gracefully slided into every bride’s wardrobe are based on the psychology of what looks good on the body, is frankly what’s right! By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Clothes whisperer

Clothes whisperer

It has been 19 years since Anamika launched her label, and for the last 14 years she has been creating couture hoping to silence the clamour of fashion and slow down with intricate embroideries, subtle pearls and heartening glamour. By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Colour me Pink

Colour me Pink

Inspired by the tales and colours of Rajasthan, Reynu Tandon’s ICW line resurrects the historical past with a contemporary reincarnation. By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Artisanal Ephemera

Artisanal Ephemera

Uzbeki Suzanis form a backdrop for Harpreet and Rimple Narula’s ICW 2016 line where Islamic art becomes a leitmotif for creative expression as Gulzar saheb's voice reverberates soothingly in the background. By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Valley of pleasure

Valley of pleasure

Whether it was Sahib Jan played by Meena Kumari in Kamal Amorhi’s unforgettable Pakeezah or Umaro Jaan by the lithe-footed Rekha, the tales of unrequited love and courtesans have lived on in our collective memories. It is this ethos that gets recreated through Tarun Tahiliani’s ode to the woman, who dances despite ...
 Truly, madly, deeply

 Truly, madly, deeply

Love comes in various forms...and even for the cynics, who think there may be a crazily ever after, replacing the 'happy', Anita assures them that romance remains at the core of her first ICW collection. By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Fashioning a tailor-made future

Fashioning a tailor-made future

Dipti Sharma from a small, non-descript town of Rudrapur doesn’t have 70 MM dreams, it’s just the 'walk' which satiates her for now! By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Tone(d) Up

Tone(d) Up

Glitter and colour to make a play for those electric eyes as the no makeup look is officially out! By Asmita Aggarwal ...
A few good women

A few good women

Juliana, 18, is all heart as the first-timer at ICW 2016 from Brazil, the land of beauties, hopes to emulate her idol Adriana Lima. By Asmita Aggarwal ...
A Beautiful Mind

A Beautiful Mind

She is a classical dancer, will launch her music album soon, but Saloni an engineer by education and model by profession will charm you with her intelligence rather than her lithe frame. By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Art for Art's Sake

Art for Art’s Sake

Flamboyance and drama, luxury and show, design and technique, are a few of the many terms that can describe Rohit Bal clothes; this collection bestows on him the tag 'czar of couture' ...
The Super Set

The Super Set

A key ingredient to a fabulous showcase is a distinguished and extraordinary backdrop. The ambience creates the mise en scene where a designer tells his fashion story ...