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, to Delhi and from here comes the spirit of travel, as well as exposure to multitude of cultures, living in different parts of country understanding artisanal forms that exists there. “My mom was an army wife, used to handle ladies’ welfare at the army cantonment where they teach embroideries-cross stitch, shadow work to smocking, which I imbibed along the way. All that seeps in, I believe in the power of creativity, it paves the way, defines the path of your life,” says Valaya. It has been 33 years, 35 if you count his education in NIFT, this is why he asserts, fashion is a fab career option, only if you have passion for it, as you are put on test every six months. “You must put blinkers on like a race horse, keep moving. Focus on what you are good at and focus on that, you can’t rest on your laurels. Be aware of what is going on in the world, don’t lose focus, don’t waste too much time on networking. Put in a lot of effort, work hard to hone your skill, make it the best,” he advises young designers. This is no hard and fast rule, he believes in “less is more” or “more is less”. Every designer can support both and believe in either ideology, maximalism vs minimalism both have advantages. India is a land of maximalism, foods are complex, we are a continent not a country, everything changes in our country from our festivals to our dresses. “No simplicity in Diwali or holi we are extravagant – architecture, carvings on rocks and stones, making masterpieces. Indians are not averse to embellishments, it is our greatest treasure—some use it to flourish with just a beautiful garment, some would create an entirely embellished masterpiece to go into a museum-highly subjective our love for shine, he believes. “It all depends on our design language. We love to celebrate—weddings are grand, we consume couture with fervour,” he adds. People should believe in their country more, focus on quality, Valaya doesn’t have gora hangover, feeding to the whims of the West, nor do we try to appease them. “Unless we get accepted in the West we don’t arrive, we feed on that ideology. We can’t be farther from the truth, India will be the prime market for everything in the next ten years,” he explains. His philosophy is to simply believe in my country, make indigenous fashion statements as brides are consuming couture, like they rush to buy bags and jewellery. Why not buy beautiful clothes? “Couture in India is linked to weddings, some women buy embroidered jackets, to feel happy,” he says. Any good brand in the world will be evolutionary in nature—is true benchmark of a brand which believes in its ethos and grows within that. It means you are aware of trends, you don’t blindly follow them, because luxury, to be called luxe, needs a high degree of timelessness. It is an investment, buying masterpieces, not clothes, you want them to last, pass them down to generations, that’s what couture is, he adds. The collection for ICW 2025 “East” and it’s his journey into this hemisphere….he is going back in time, 18th century when the West used to look at East with wonder. “It was a mysterious land full of stories —amazing cultures, artisans, crafts. So we wandered from the Balkans into the far East and finally settled in India,” says Valaya. When it comes to crafts, he is greedy, doesn’t cultivate favourites, he believes there is so much to explore in this country, it will take a lifetime. Any Indian designer must rediscover hidden crafts, and reinterpret for the current generation. Exactly what I am doing, innovate every year, push limits of excellence when it comes to workmanship, detailing and prints we sneak in. We don’t believe in extreme change every year. It has to be evolution. There is a distinct DNA of the brand that’s why customers come to us,” he adds. The bride is well travelled, the internet has brought everything close to us, she is intelligent, aware of what’s going on, all these factors make her better informed than brides of the past. “Being a classist, I want to create masterpieces she can truly enjoy, cherish, make her feel good, look good, give her pieces she knows can be worn again. I do not like gimmickry, I do not want to shock, I want to awe, but with a degree of craftsmanship, and artisanal quality in the garment. All the initial sketches are always done by Valaya himself; every sketch that’s made is fine-tuned by me. “Couture demands that attention, I really enjoy what I do. Gen Z and Gen Alpha are in another mind space, we are mere observers, from a distance see what’s happening and adapt to what’s going on. Tradition plays such a large part of Indian couture, there won’t be any radical changes happening, but mindset is changing-GenZ wants things to be experimental,” he adds. It is a very intelligent generation, they know exactly what they want. They realise, anything good has value and they are willing to pay for it, “so I think after 35 years I have learnt how to adapt to this generation,” he explains. Being a stylist, photographer, designer, a multifaceted person, “the royal nomad with a panache for art deco”, is an apt tagline. “It applies to me, as I love what I do, 33 years down the line I am still as excited about every show, every collection, every brand campaign that we do, photography is my alter ego at play, great leveler. We also do home interiors-carpets, love designing furniture, very fortunate to
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 saris were looked upon as an anomaly, but that was almost 18 years ago, when lehengas were red, zardozi weighed them down. As fashion and the audience has evolved, Dadu calls herself a “rebel, out to prove a point”. At 21, she didn’t care about commerce, though today she realises it takes a lot of maturity to finally run a business. “I think I have found a sweet spot to do what I want to, discovering my own voice, and an audience that accepts my aesthetic,” she adds. Instagram, she feels, has really evolved the public perception of style, though the intelligentsia may despise it, it isn’t frivolous. If anyone follows me they know exactly what’s new, what I am thinking, it is now a democratic process nondependent on traditional media,” she adds. Indian fashion is now looked upon with respect, also curiosity, we are no longer a manufacturing hub, crafts and artisans are the showstoppers, but there is room for many India stories. “There is India traditional, modern, and futuristic. Our traditional weave had been heavily dependent on motifs and embellishment, so what’s wrong with shine? I don’t find it repulsive. Even if you look at Jamdani it is white, but the motifs on it give it that unique character,” she admits. Dadu is experimental, develops new textiles, drawing boards, and karigars envision how to upcycle what is traditionally looked at as waste. “Sometimes it takes ten failed attempts to get things right,” she says, adding, “We start again if we feel it is not going how we planned.” The language of bridal couture has altered enormously; steel saris earlier brides would ask if they could check with their mom-in-law, before buying, now they are the decision makers. Cliché is out; everyone wants to look bolder. “Couture now has elevated craftsmanship, it is a vision, our metallic jewel tones, and a whole new section of gunmetal grey this season is a big risk I have taken. Even though I don’t like to work on set themes,” she says. Her inspiration this year has been Banjara tribes and their vivacious jewellery, Dadu has done Patola in the past, this year she has fallen in love with Bandhani, the knots, used as an embellishment rather than in whole. “For me fashion is art, so the skirt that we made with metal and steel interlinked inspired by tribal jewellery, a chainmail structure, took one month to make after several failures, just one piece,” she smiles. Though Dadu is a woman of finer tastes—she wants to do things other than clothing—maybe lights, textiles, sculpture. “Though what helps is switching off and living in my bubble,” she grins. That’s why her new “streamlined” lehenga (not using 20 but 2 metres of fabric) or playing with a new way of draping “palla”, after detailed R & D is what ICW 2025 saw. Cording, steel wires, in sherwanis, bandhgalas, bomber jackets, it has been a journey of following her passion, even as the new mother Dadu finds “solace” when she works relentlessly to create stand out pieces.
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. Upcycling, applique to molten metallics, Aisha Rao, from NUJS (law) to studying in Barcelona Istituto Europeo di Design, IED and then garment construction at Parsons New York, she knew her heart was in making clothes that bring out the vibrancy of India, its unabashed celebrations. Showcasing her line “Wild at heart” at the ICW for the first time, she has said ‘no’ to plastics for a long time, and was in fact debating whether she really wants to work in fashion, known to be the most polluting industry in the world. “Whenever you cut a bias skirt, there was a lot of waste generated, along with this was when we used sequins, bugle beads, bullions on the ‘khaat’. We wanted to find a way to use both these and we did, by upcycling them. I wanted to make a viable business, but reduce carbon footprints,” says Aisha. And of course, a degree in law always helps—specially when recently Bloomingdales sent her a contract she was able to maneuver dexterously. “Brides don’t understand the concept of waste, all they want is to look pristine,” she laughs. Mother of two kids, Aisha often finds inspiration in their stories, like Roald Dahl’s Matilda to Paper dolls, though Indian couture is enjoying the spotlight, with China slowing down–Ambani wedding, Prada introduced Italian version of Kolhapuris, LV embroidered bags. Sabyasachi Mukherjee has stated, he would like his jewellery to not be locked up but worn on linens and skirts. Plus, couture is now functional, not just about heavy lehenga cholis. “We are doing dresses you can wear at your friend’s wedding, the crystal one-piece blouse can be teamed up with palazzos, traditional peacock motifs top this is now your companion to a date night draped skirt,” she says. Couture was earlier reserved for the OGs, very tough for young people to break in, it is also manpower heavy and super expensive, till now Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata were hubs the South largely ignored. Two designers have broken the glass ceiling and given Hyderabad, a great representation—Jayanti Reddy and Aisha Rao. “I have always loved the Banarasi weave, this year also it finds a representation, in my collections, pure gold zari saris in Kanchipuram. Girls have a mind of their own, they will wear a tiny beach blouse, but mom-in-law still prefers classic woven sari,” she laughs. Her kasavu tissue saree, zari with satins, have done well, for cocktails, to white weddings. “We did sequins overload in the Barcelona line, as an ode to Antoni Gaudi, the acclaimed Spanish architect, I’ve always wanted to tell a story,” she affirms. This season Aisha offers jackets with bustiers inside, a sweater shape you can add over your lehenga, with a smattering of aari work and zardozi. “I’m sitting in Hyderabad, so Bollywood is tough to crack for me, though what celebs wear is aspirational, gets instant results, when a lehenga sells in volumes, it is good for business,” she says. From palms, peacock colours, chintz, maximal flora, lush teak berry, there is a little bit of Aisha in each piece she crafts, “of coursen o lehenga comes within a pocket as that was my pain point at my own celebrations,” she concludes.
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 deeply personal responsibility. Everything he created came from a place of love — for Indian craft, the beauty of Kashmir, and the people who bring that beauty to life. I had the privilege of learning and growing under his guidance for over a decade. As Creative Director, my role now is to protect what he built and let it grow, with the hope that everything we create reflects the integrity and grace he always stood for.” His journey with Rohit Bal began in 2013, just after he graduated from design school Symbiosis International University, he began as a young designer in his team and over time, got the chance to be involved in more — from design to the business side of things. “Rohit Bal always valued growth and believed in continuous learning. He encouraged me to pursue further education, which led me to do my MBA at IIM Ahmedabad. That experience helped me understand how to balance creativity with business decisions. But the real learning came from working with him — being in the atelier, working with artisans, and watching how an idea would turn into something special in his hands,” he adds. The FDCI ICW collection called Kash-gul, draws inspiration from the landscape and poetry of Kashmir — especially from Gulistan, which means the “garden of flowers”. This collection connects with shared memory, craft, and tradition. “We’ve worked closely with artisans to preserve techniques that have been passed down over generations. We’ve used fabrics like Matka silk and velvet, with thread work and gold zardozi that add richness and depth. The motifs — peacock, lotus, and rose — were signature elements in Rohit Bal’s work, and they continue in this collection. What I have tried to retain is his sense of elegance and the quiet drama that made his work timeless,” he explains. Tasnim grew up in Bihar, grew up surrounded by culture, stories, and art. Bihar is also the land of hand-woven matka silk, and khadi was a part of daily life. “Being around these kinds of fabrics from a young age naturally drew me toward textiles and eventually, into fashion. Fashion became more serious for me during design school. And everything truly came together when I started working with Rohit Bal,” he confirms. Couture today is about meaning, he believes. Brides are looking for pieces that reflect who they are — not just garments that are heavy or ornate. “There’s a clear shift toward personal connection, craftsmanship, and quiet elegance,” he adds. For the festive season, what always works is a garment that feels intentional — something with clean construction, beautiful fabric, and quiet presence. When it’s made with care and worn with confidence, it never fails to leave an impression!
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 Jayanti Reddy, may have studied business in US, but at heart she knows couture is her first love. “I was doing one off pieces, heavily embellished for a select clientele, we mixed interesting shapes with comfort. Though the focus has been jewel tones and pastels, with a smattering of gold,” says Reddy. In these years there have been many inspirations—travel to textile art, even using leftover scraps patching them together to create new fabrics. Or woven panels with zardosi threadwork, made into slimmer skirts; new interpretation of Banaras with lighter more gossamer touches. “The lehenga choli is obsolete, it is now the Sharara and peplum with two sheer duppattas, and trail,” she explains. The South has become a hub for brides, the market is booming, it offers originality, variety as well as fantasy, for her Banarasi weaves are best sellers. “Capes, jackets to corsets offer a third dimension, and weddings are a mix of cultures. There is no set template of what will work, we need to keep evolving as brides do and frankly Bollywood wearing a Jayanti Reddy creates enormous awareness,” she concludes.
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, in the world of fashion, he calls it a journey of “self-exploration”. The focus has been on transforming men’s silhouettes, moving away from the idea that a man is simply a “caretaker’. “There is a sense of poetic femininity, where drapes are the mainstay. Women in S and N couture are portrayed as strong independent brides, rather than coy, not romantic so in some ways it has been a role reversal of sorts. “If you look at the history of couture it was considered the holy grail, unapproachable. Now for the last few years it is moving away from ostentation, display of wealth, with a lot more focus on experimentation,” says Nikhil. Maybe that’s why the obsession with red has dimmed, societal norms have been broken, brands are looking at watered down versions of couture—Anamika with AK-Ok and Tarun Tahiliani with OTT. “Less is more for us, we try to tell a story through minimalism, like our hand-crafted brooches, there may be a lack of abundance, but there is a definitive respect for crafts,” says Mehra. Though he questions, “just because it is $4000, should we say we have put 4,000-man hours making it? We don’t think like that? He works with sporty elements, as games is what keeps him going personally too, here too there is innovation—yarns are developed, mostly breathable knitted fabrics, wool blends. “Accessorizing has been a fun thing, so we channel military regalia, kamarband on shirts/sherwanis, merging two different worlds,” he adds. Nikhil admits post-colonization, we embraced colours vibrantly, as well as prints and refused to be cowed down by a Western aesthetic of black and greys. “Fantasy in fashion is before you are 22 years old, after running a business, you grow up really fast. The theme of Shiva Shakti, gender fluid has been constant in our lines, even as our brides have abandoned dupatta and decided to wear a lehenga with structured jackets, that she can wear with drainpipe pants later for a girl’s night out,” he smiles. Men have been neglected in fashion, he believes, so the brand took cognizance of it, “men are no longer a mere plus one, they have an identity of their own”. Pre-covid couture was only wedding wear, now it is about celebrating every moment, not just a D-day, anniversary, a personal milestone et al. “Paris Fashion week, celebs walked for Balenciaga, among others, so the showstopper is an important aspect, good for business. FB and insta generate revenue for us. People want to see what their icons are wearing,” he adds. His fav hues—dark navy and cherry, mix in this is deep emerald, slate greys and rubies. That’s why his line for ICW 2025 titled “Metropolis” serenades a global man, who takes his cultural identity with him. “We went to Moscow, St Petersburg, and Pitti Uomo, to Sardinia, a man now is unapologetically well dressed, he enjoys the process. That’s why menswear is more potent now than ever before,” he says. Vivan Mehra, his son, is now gearing up for Emerson college Boston, in filmmaking and acting, so like all doting fathers, Nikhil believes he gets this talent from his mom, Vidushi, a theatre actress. “I knew he was not going to study accounting or engineering, rather performing arts was calling. It was a toss up between football and acting, the latter won. In fact Karan Johar told him to watch a lot of Japanese films, watch finer nuances like lighting to understand 70 MM world,” he concludes.
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, Rohit Bal dressed in Jodhpurs and a crisp bandhgala has passed onto the next world leaving behind a mammoth legacy, but Suneet Varma is carrying forward that baton at ICW 2025 with his line “Sehr”. Of course, in his inimitable style— on Jaane Jaan dhoondta phir raha with Bebo’s moustached father Randhir Kapoor and bouffant Jaya Bachchan in the 70s hit Jiwani Diwani. Somehow red is taking a backstage in couture making way for white the “it” colour for the season–sometimes no colour is the best colour. Suneet’s ramp is always reflective, of shine, he is never apologetic about it– pristine white lilies, swans and white palms with sparkling lights took a bow. When you are around as long as Suneet, with ocean like experience – legendary Yves Saint Laurent to Judith Leiber, BMW, interiors, you know what works in a market that can’t get enough embellishment. Indians by DNA are celebratory, it is an inherent part of our cultural ethos. His love for old classic Bollywood songs is apparent, little birds were flying on headdresses, complemented with sequined gowns accentuating every curve of the body—visualise black, gold, boas, faux feathers. The dupatta hangs on nimble shoulders, though by its own willpower, it has got thinner, bulk reduced—just like brides don’t want anything that restricts their movement. Remember Samantha Jones in Sex and the City, played by Kim Cattrall with her unwavering loyalty to beaded bustiers, dripping flirtatiousness and bold pink flowers? Suneet kind of had that spirit of exuberance and nonchalance. Interestingly, shararas with zardosi on the notes of Monica… oh my darling took us back to Helen’s winged eyeliner, midnight blue eyeshadow and tiered ruffled dress, Suneet gave it a modern interpretation with gotta-patti style choga kurtas. Pearl wraps instead of cholis, exaggerated sleeves, gold has always had a hold on occasion wear, everyone’s favourite polkis and jadaus were crafted into a blouse, as if you are wearing a necklace around your bosom with pearls dancing on your back. Star daughter Riddhima Kapoor Sahni seemed comfortable on the catwalk, she exclaimed, “18 years ago I made my debut with Suneet, I’m here again now.” She also twirled for us, as Suneet clarified, “I live in my dream world –set, music presentation is part of who I am, obsessed with romantic music. Tried hard to change it to English sonatas but I can’t do it. This feels natural to me. Fashion is all I know how to do. I like to excel but in a non-competitive way. Thus, there is always debate on if this embroidered rose needs more crystals or whether sequins need better placement,” confesses Suneet. This season- isn’t about reds and rani pinks but lilacs, greys, and obsidian blacks, the shararas is the queen of silhouettes now, tighter, flared, Suneet took it a notch up with semi-precious garnets!
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 carpets channeled luxe along with silver candle stands gracefully placed. An army of eager cameramen, pouts, sea of kitten heels, Herve Leger style bodycon dresses, off the catwalk (there in), gave competition to the dainty lehengas armed with sporty jackets, capes, gilets, and a whole lot of quiet glitter that Isha Jajodia gave us for ICW 2025. Bonus: there isn’t one way to wear a lehenga, and yes you can add a little drama with lace trails and charming pearls dancing on lehengas. Isha decided to give us doses of time travel, with 20s flapper dresses with swinging beads, flaming reds, draped skirts moved around lithe thighs of Archana Akhil Kumar (she’s a timeless beauty), and corsets sat around toned bodies. In this subtle mix was Bollywood beauty Tara Sutaria preening, looking delicious in a gold corset. “I love lace and white, corsets are very flattering, they make me feel feminine and elegant,” said the actress. This one took five months to make, and declared that a modern bride is very cool, ready to break norms. Your dreams of being swathed in 18 karat gold plating has come true! Corsets, made in Paris, designed by Isha Jajodia, known for her love affair with hand woven lace is giving intrepid women a taste of heavy metal. With changing ideology, couture is adapting—femininity, romance, drapes have become the frontrunner of expression winning over the earlier heaviness of zardozi. “Whispers of love” is Isha’s ode to self-love, the woman she was, to the woman she is becoming, kind of notes to herself. “It is a line born out of love and longing, as I am at a time in my life when I am at ease with everything,” she smiles. For ICW 2025, she confirms things happen, as they are willed, a divine timing unfolds, thus you can see the softness yet strength in the line, as some pieces have no embroidery. With her travels to Paris, Hong Kong, Dubai, she only fell deeper in love with timeless pieces that can be worn as heirlooms. “It has taken us six months to create corsets, gold with ivory pearl embellishments, almost elevating them to a piece of art, speaking intricately,” she explains. Corsets enhance a woman’s curves, you can wear them with almost anything-dhoti pants, palazzos, draped skirts, lehengas to traditional saris. A vacation picture taken ten years ago, of an intricate door carving found its way on to the corset, in Paris that she revisited; even though she fails to recall the decadent palace, the memory of it stays alive. Organza silks and chiffons, can express the story of pastels and jewel tones, but Isha says clothing needs to be ageless. She has an advantage—her son is 19, to her husband’s children in their late 30s, her friends in their 40s give her enough exposure to varied tastes. “Comfort even in occasion wear is primary, you can wear a skirt not a lehenga later with a tuxedo jacket. Now there is multiplicity of use,” she explains. Her gowns with bustles, extensive use of boning on skirts, head veils complete the look for a chic modern bride. “I design for a bride who is self-assured, doesn’t shy away from expressing what she feels,” she adds. With the influx of Instagram, its far and wide reach, brings with it the definitive celeb angle, even though she believes a showstopper is overhyped. She chose someone who is from South Mumbai, not so much in the news, has quiet elegance so it worked well. “Anything an actress wears works, like the ivory and ice blue gown on Jacqueline Fernandes still does well, or the minty hued pre-draped, organza-lace sari with an embroidered bralet, as well as the introduction of red-hot pink this year,” she affirms. The digital invasion gets at least 30 to 40% business, especially from social media, even if there are 20 orders a month, it makes good business sense. Though couture needs a more hands-on approach. “Insta has really upped our game, we have orders from different parts of the world, recently one from Bermuda, most unexpected,” she concludes.
FSP’s brides court shine
What lights up a dull, dark rainy day? Heartthrob Vicky Kaushal, for sure, as Falguni and Shane Peacock didnt 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 Hyundai India Couture Week 2024. By Asmita Aggarwal As Delhi almost got submerged in rains, a brave few ventured out for the Hyundai India Couture Week 2024. Many felt watching Bollywood heartthrob Vicky Kaushal dressed as a groom for Falguni and Shane Peacock was worth battling the deluge. Though some things only Vicky can do, shake the bands lead singer’s hand, which really held the show together with their renditions of A R Rahman to Bollywood numbers, help his fellow show stopper Rashmika Mandana on the stairs as she wore a heavily embellished white lehenga. Shook hands with journalists he knew and asked them if his catwalk was appropriate. My first car was a Hyundai and I also banged it several times, laughed Vicky. He is a gentleman. We were showered with rose petals, after all it was the grand finale and frankly, we smelt and felt fabulous. The ornate set created, had swans on the ramp and a pool with rose petals, vintage chandeliers hung from the ceiling, the theme was an ode to the magnificence of legendary palaces, the people behind who created these –artisans. Few would have heard, Only fools fall in love by Elvis Presly, being strummed live on a sitar by the musician who was sitting in between opening petals! Freestyle dancing, artistes wearing salmon pink ruffled skirts gave the silver and white lehengas that Falguni-Shane introduced, a heady beginning. The Rang Mahal collection, had for the first time Banarasi brocade lehengas, Chikankari, lace and of course a tornado of sequins, there were mild tremors felt with golden and copper, lehengas, brimming with motifs — swans swimming with abandon, diyas, to banyan trees to peepal leaves. FSP added an extra dupatta to saris, the Banerasis came in pink with pure gold borders, former cricketer Mohammed Azharuddin, seemed to enjoy the unabashed ode to crystals, as the saris came with a shimmering cape. The live band crooned, Yeh jo desh hai Mera, by A R Rahman, FSP decided to replace their semi-precious stone bustiers with silk blouses sans any embroidery, maybe as an option to team it later with a pair of denims. This is their 20th year in fashion, and they are known for not shying away from any kind of glitter, or colour in the rainbow, also combining myriad hues in one fish tail gowns from stark blues to cold silvers. The transparent churidar came in black, and the Spanish influences on wrap shawls, in velvet with tessellation were nifty. Mirror work this year has been everyones favourite, only FSP used larger ones, and created Mughal motifs, resembling the arches of the Taj Mahal. The longest trails like a princess, and French lace complemented zardosi. Pink is another hue that is being celebrated in couture, and it is true, the Peacocks can never execute a line without faux feathers, it is called the Peacock effect. Reliance Industries, will now be venturing into handicrafts, with Swadesh their brand, a bit like Cottage Emporium stores, FSP tied up with them to create a special woven ensemble. The showstoppers Vicky and Rashmika are part of ‘Chhava’, a period drama, where Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, and his wife, Yesubai Bhonsale form the storyline.
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, and thats why Bollywoods svelte Sobhita Dhulipala in a white seemed to be the perfect muse. The dhoti is having its moment, its unisex, equally loved by both so are her corsets, as we all marvelled at the way she folds, moulds, tough metal into flowers, petals, beating them into submission. Sequins were placed ingeniously to create pixelated embroidery, I also liked how she took the steam out of couture and told us it could be worn with flats. The interesting aspect about interviewing Rimzim, is she confesses, her husband tells her, he can talk better about the brand than she can, she giggles and tells me. The designer known for her heady experimentations with acrylic, leather, steel, metal, mostly hardware, which she smoothly converts into soft wear, is a quiet samurai. She launched her menswear label, opened a store in Delhi, says, inclusion and sustainability are much abused words”; she launched a line called Disco, which is very unlike her personalityreticent. I wanted to offer men something cool, edgy, and fun. I felt there was a gap, she admits. She confesses, most throw around difficult words, without practicing it —just because you add one plus-size, or dark-skinned model, it doesnt make it cool, rather it seems like a marketing tool. I dont believe in trends; I want to create something which is relevant 30 years down the linea classic. Neither do I study the market, as bridal wear is a very tricky zone. Brides so far like to be safe, but in the last few years have seen a seismic shift, they want to push the proverbial envelope, and abandon herd mentality, she explains. It was uphill mentally to see brides embracing outfits made of steel for their D-day. When Dadu began, the belief was to be an antithesis of fashion, offer clothing that breaks away from the norm or any set restrictions, and this year for ICW 2024, it is no different. She developed or rather delved into a unique visual language inspired by the Baroque style of architecture. There is Western classical music that held me in awe, also architecture which I interpreted through my own vocabulary of cording, twisting, surface texturing. The only change is we have attempted to create motifs, which we never did before, she explains. When she began, almost 15 years ago, Dadu confesses, she was before her time, the market was not ready, she was embarking on a new direction. When you run a business, you have to gauge the audience, it must be a sweet balance between innovation, and marketability, she admits. To achieve a Baroque look-she created a POP (plaster of Paris) type of appeal, thus the line is titled Stucco. Besides new surfaces, they have traditional themes, zardozi, the first time it has been executed, a new one for Dadu. Working with hardware comes with unpredictability, but 15 years of experience has taught her how to make materials malleable, how to stitch a steel sari, even though it came with no rule book. There was R and D that saved us, trial, and error, we also understood how to protect, and finish our pieces. How to tame materials, initially it was challenging, even now we face roadblocks, she admits adding, artisans whom she trained in the processes have been with her from the beginning. Making samples is one thing, but how a garment will sit on a body is another ball game, she adds. Dadu launched couture three years ago, she enjoys meeting brides, she is learning every day, and says she is still in the honeymoon period of crafting couture, it does not seem like a chore or monotonous. Over the years, she has chosen various faces that match her brand identityAnanya Pandey — she is a Gen Z style chameleon; Vijay Varma for taking the road less travelled, as he enjoys dressing. If you ask Dadu whom she admires in the couture space it would be Schiaparelli, and what Daniel Roseberry has done with the Italian label. India is changing rapidly, there is effortlessness in couture, which is my favorite part, she concludes.