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 mix, and you get a show that tells brides —- you don’t need to be weighed down by zari, and zardozi, try lace. “I love her work,” said Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandes, adding, “I’ve been a fan of Rose Room, Isha has dressed me for many special occasions. The romance and femininity she offers, is a match made in heaven. There is superlative Indian craftsmanship making each piece graceful, and chic, almost timeless,” says Fernandes. Charcoal was not in the vocabulary of wedding wear, but Isha admits, she wanted to pay homage to its potency. “We don’t see this particular hue in Indian couture, Jackie was my muse, she manages to bring out the inner goddess. While I dressed Riddhima Kapoor Sahni in Chikankari with pearls,” says Isha. “I was confident what Isha would make me wear would be perfect, and it was,” says the sister of the Bollywood star Ranbir Kapoor, Riddhima. Rose Room had ornate tassels, off white, buttery hues were intermingled with faux feathers, and the body huggers came with trails. She added lace stockings under gowns, and bodysuits. Corsets were everywhere– fish tail gowns serenaded fitter bodies, though pants suits were worn with corsets and sheer shirts tucked, adding flirty layers. Isha prefers subtle glamour –mocha to peach. Saris with capes, and fabric manipulated into roses on gowns, elegant was the overall mood. Cinched waists, long net trials, beaded bustiers, emerald green shararas with racer back tunics, dropped shoulders cholis more ruffled than risqué, often came bunched up. Isha doesn’t like to mix hues, she keeps it solid—like the flaming reds. Gold Romanesque breast plates were tied at the back, calling only petite women, as the embroidery was tone-on-tone. Isha believes brides today are taking the unconventional route for their D-Day—the lehenga, choli and dupatta is outdated. Now it is the advent of corsets, full skirts, and maybe a short jacket. That’s why her ICW 2024 line, “Art of Eternity” is wooing new-age women with laces, specially developed, much more intricate than last year when she has the statuesque Vani Kapoor, in flaming red. Bridal hues too have taken a tumble with new, fresh, light colours reigning, mostly pastels, and add a certain “frothiness” to the ensemble, she adds. “I have introduced a softer palette, with dashes of red, which you could say is my signature. This year, architectural motifs forge a bond with laces to offer delicateness,” says Isha. In a wedding market dominated by heavy zari, zardozi, dabka to aari, gotta patti, there is a client, who wants to feel free, and easy and above all, not weighed down by threadwork. Isha’s recent trip to Rome, served as an inspiration in March this year, where the imposing churches, where the catacombs and frescos, some built in 440 AD, replete with mosaics, columns, arches and sculptures remain etched in her memory. “The detailing is what stayed with me, frankly being a creative person, it can come from anywhere even a Michelin star winning restaurant, or a cruise, I have so many moments in the treasure trove of my imagination,” she adds. Isha’s clients love the cinched waists, slender structured shapes, but elegant, she has not lost touch with what she began with “Chikankari. ” My line is paying an ode to love, in a poetic way, through the medium of couture, it is various forms of love “mostly importantly self-love,” she concludes.
Tiger Tales
Couturier Rahul Mishra is a conversation starter, a dialogue initiator thats 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
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
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 Mehras 16-year-old son Vivhan, making his catwalk debut. By Asmita Aggarwal
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 Dadus specialty. By Asmita Aggarwal
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
Anamikas 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
The past always finds an embellished way to catch up with the present in J J Valayas 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
Vedas to swishing sculpted gowns, Gaurav Gupta can make the twain meet, just like his showstopper Jahanvi K., whos hybrid heritage makes a winning statement. By Asmita Aggarwal
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