As we mentioned earlier, Couture in India is predominantly bridal wear but many couturiers are working with contemporary couture that’s more about occasional wear and striking red-carpet looks that can find a place in any fashion capital of the world. Many couturiers are also catering to patrons in Europe, China and America and thus, we saw some magnificent gowns, dresses, and couture separates at the India Couture Week 2022.
Rohit Gandhi & Rahul Khanna: Fibonacci
If one is looking for exquisite cocktail wear, the Fibonacci collection by Rohit Gandhi & Rahul Khanna at the India Couture Week 2022 is a must-see. As the name suggests, the designer duo were inspired by the Fibonacci wave and the collection was mind-boggling. Intricate patterns were embroidered using crystals and cutwork on delicate tulle, organza, and velvet ensembles tailored to perfection.
Indeed each garment was a labour of love. The signature Rohit Gandhi and Rahul Khanna embroidery with metallic sheen was taken to a new level of sophistication. The intricacy of it masterfully reflected the method in madness. The brilliance of the designers’ vision was evident remarkably, and it seemed that each ensemble was sewn upon the model with every nip and tuck sitting perfectly on the body.
The nude hue was dominating the look, interspersed with teal and reds. Gowns – fitted and A-line, dresses, layered guise of bodysuits, and jackets paired with sheer long capes and trains, men’s jackets paired with long and short shirts and slim fitted pants really brought the collection together.
Siddartha Tytler: Shan Shui
Siddartha Tytler’s couture presentation was visually dramatic. His cocktail wear line was interesting and the way he layered these quintessential Indian looks with bomber jackets and parkas made it more so. Siddartha’ Couture collection encompassed ensembles from cocktail to sangeet evening with lehengas, sherwanis and bandh galas. The bridal wear segment needs special mention for beautiful zip-up sherwanis with muted embroidery.
The dresses showcased by him in the collection were quite avant-garde, with innovative cuts and treatments.
Amit Aggarwal: Pedesis
Amit Aggarwal had an eccentric show at a stadium to showcase his couture 2022 collection in an off-beat setting. Nothing about Aggarwal’s design ethos is normal. He has often believed in creating clothes that are works of art, as we say in fashion – wearable art.
He uses metallic chords woven into his textiles to create myriad shapes and forms. Wave-like folds, moulded silhouettes, gravity-defying detailing are something signature to Amit Aggarwal’s label.
At Couture Week 2022, the trendsetter extraordinaire, was more philosophical in creating his collection. Some outfits looked like cocoons, with ensembles that had built-in halos around the head. The motifs used by Aggarwal to embellish his creations were inspired from the digital world. They were in the form of pixels and patterns from circuit boards, and had concentric circles similar to screen-savers on laptops and desktops.
The silhouettes were at times severely fitted and at times, voluminous to highlight the virtues of capacious dressing. Colours moved from monochrome to orange to electric blue, to purple and magenta.
Varun Bahl: New Leaf
Flora and fauna seem to be trending with the couturiers as we see many taking to nature’s beauty to find inspiration for their collections. Varun Bahl’s ‘New Leaf’ collection was also about flora and fauna motifs magnificently embellished on ensembles to create a stunning look.
The silhouettes were very modern. There was bridal and red-carpet wear on the ramp stitched out of silk and luxurious velvet in the hues of black, teal, ivory, and red. A lot of 3-dimensional embroideries showed mastery in intricate handwork. The sequinned roses and parrot were jumping out of the ensembles, it seemed. What impressed me most was the sequence where Bahl used patchwork embroidery, upcycled from his archives. The way he dramatically draped peplum choli over lehenga gave bridal wear a contemporary and playful twist. Maxi-dresses with pockets, pantsuits with an athleisure feel, jump-suits with long capes, and black tiered lehengas were some very mentionable looks in the collection.
Varun Bahl’s modern wear was innovatively modernised to break away from traditional silhouettes. A nice twist indeed.
Text by Jaydeep Ghosh
Image Courtesy: Amit Aggarwal, Siddharth Tyler, Varun Bahl, Rohit Gandhi & Rahul Khanna
Find more about the India Couture Week:
https://www.fdci.org/events.html
https://www.instagram.com/varunbahlcouture/?hl=en
https://www.instagram.com/rohitgandhirahulkhanna/?hl=en
https://www.instagram.com/siddartha_tytler/?hl=en
https://www.instagram.com/amitaggarwalofficial/?hl=en
