Weddings are an extravagant affair in our country. It is the most talked about event on the social calendar. Therefore, a grand occasion calls for grander celebrations and when you are part of a city like Delhi, which nurses a special feeling for bling — reserved especially for weddings — and at the same time is schizophrenic with fashion, more is always better than less.
Modern brides-to-be shopping for the D-day now have one more address to “check out stuff” at. The Aamby Valley India Bridal Fashion Week, which made its Delhi debut on a clammy Tuesday evening amidst cheers and scoffs, is the new entrant to the bridal market. The opening of the week at the Grand hotel was, well, grand in every way — be it the participation of heavyweight couturiers, the opulent sets, the luxurious bridal wear, the presence of city’s creme de la creme, the unlimited booze or the eternal wait for the shows to start, the ensuing chaos and confusion.
To begin with, the first show of the evening by JJ Valaya, expected to start at 8 pm, started after a princely delay of two hours. However, as the doors opened, the audiences were greeted with a slice of culture in the form of a spectacular set, immaculately designed by scenographer Sumant Jayakrishnan. The huge ivory royal umbrellas above the round tables arranged for the front rowers, a beautiful replica of a relinquished ship and models in ivory ensembles and royal jewels atop thrones, made for an image straight out of a Mughal king’s court. The next 15 minutes packed in a delightful Kathak presentation in sync with a Spanish foot tapping dance performance, an array of the designer’s signature styles — pretty saris, embroidered lehengas, asymmetrical anarkalis, structured bandhgalas, turbans, printed kurtas and churidaars — for his collection Maharaja of Madrid and celebrity showstoppers Kabir Bedi and Kangna Ranaut.
Bedi appeared on the ramp in a bold maroon velvet cloak with embroidered Mughal motifs in gold worn with a churidaar and sheer wrap, the stripped turban complete with plume. Whereas the Gangster actress Kangna Ranaut, turned up in a floor-sweeping multi-coloured lehenga with gold work teamed with a risqué choli and jewelled headgear.
Moving on to the second show of the night, which started moments before midnight, Shantanu and Nikhil’s dramatic collection designed keeping in the mind the various moods of an edgy bride, was a hybrid of desi concepts and contemporary interpretations. There were gowns, voluminous skirts, mermaid dresses and anarkalis with dull gold floral embroidery adorning the hems. Peplum and crop tops and jackets with high collars over long skirts and sherwanis teamed with dhoti pants demanded for attention. Any show by the duo seems incomplete without a good dose of French Chantilly lace. Miss Canada Sehar Biniaz presented the climax in a nude lacy floor-length evening gown in blush pink that awed all.
Did the grandeur of the shows compensate for the delay? Well, the next day’s turnout could answer that.
Nonetheless, the whole episode definitely provided fodder to the rival organisers of an upcoming fashion week dedicated to bridal couture.