With offsite locales for some of the shows, The Amazon India Couture Week was all that it promised.
The 6th edition of the Amazon India Couture Week by FDCI, had a spectacular opening in New Delhi on 29th of July at the Taj Palace Hotel. The shows, by Invitation only, were a feast for the eyes of the beholder with a mix of well-known couture designers from the likes of Sabyasachi Mukherjee and Rohit Bal to Manish Malhotra, Rahul Misra, Gaurav Gupta, Anju Modi, Monisha Jaisingh, Manav Gangwani and many others. One of the main differences this year was the fact that there were other offsite locales for some of the shows!
Couture in India is often mixed with Bridal Wear, and to some extent the overlap is understandable. After all, Bridal wear is the most sought after category in India. As expected, most of the designers had created or recreated the essence of the modern bride with shift dresses, capes worn over bralets, billowy skirts and saris, oversized coats, mesh-covered saris, fringed skirts, loose crop tops over lehengas, jackets and one-shoulder contoured dresses. Some trends that we saw emerging included, shararas, sarees, lehengas, peplum tops, trousers, layered skirts, saree-lehengas and jackets over sarees and lehengas for all occasions. It was interesting to see that our traditional sarees and lehengas are still favored but of course, with a twist.
While most of the collections were for women, we weren’t surprised to see some menswear collection being featured as well. The Achkans, bandh galas, sherwanis and shawls dominated menswear and added to the beauty of the show.
Sportswear influence on couture is a trend that is fast emerging and India is catching up too. Rahul Misra’s collection was sporty couture with use of beautiful handloom fabrics and Maheshwaris.
Wedding venues have become more out of the box & unconventional, and designers like Monisha Jaisingh adapted their wedding ensemble to suit the locations. Whether it was heavily embellished Lehengas with ganjis or jacket and sneakers, the collection was ideal for a cruise wedding where the bride can be comfortable and look gorgeous without having to wear any fussy clothes!
Image source: vogue.com
Gaurav Gupta’s showstopping gown worn by Kalki Koechlin was beautiful, as it combined aesthetics, had the required flounce and drape and yet was simple with no surface decoration! Refreshingly beautiful, the fabric and the silhouette did all the talking.
Image source: vogue.com
The stars of Sabyasachi’s show were the ornately designed exquisite shoes by Christian Louboutin.
In keeping with our rich heritage of textiles and embroideries, this edition of Couture Week was testimony to all that India is famous for: Silks, Maheshwaris, Voiles, Soft chiffons, Tulle, Silk taffeta and handlooms.
Also seen on the ramp were tweeds, leather mixed with silk, net and velvet. Zardosi, thread embroideries, bird and floral motifs, ethnic Bengal embroidery, Persian inspired motifs, resham ki kadai, parsi weave and really ornate handwork was predominant in most garments.
Hues from heavy cream, green, sea green, peach, burgundy and gold to paler shades like ochres, pale blues and ivory, white, beige and pastels were the color palettes seen on the ramp.
Bollywood and fashion being so interdependent, it was natural to see so many stars walking the ramp for their favorite designers – Aishwarya Rai Bachchan for Manish Malhotra, Kalki Koechlin for Gaurav Gupta and many others!
Image source: vogue.com
The shows were imaginative and the clothes beautiful! The emphasis on traditional embroideries and crafts and an attempt by designers to revive and use some of the ‘almost’ forgotten hand skills that India is famous for was the best part of it all!
