High on fashion, dry on stars

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DAY Five OF the Pearls Infrastructure Delhi Couture week was high on fashion and dry on Bollywood without a single representation from the film industry. There was no star presence even in Suneet Verma’s show. But both shows, Varun Bahl’s in the afternoon and Verma’s late in the evening, did more than enough to ensure no one was missed. Bahl’s promise of bringing Anastasia from czarist Russia to the ramp was well kept as models strode in opulent velvet and fur (which was not real, as we were informed). With an emphasis on elbow attachments he brought in corsets, big shoulders, shrugs and luxurious wraps, paired saris and lehengas with long, floor skimming jackets and created a perfect imperial impression. Non-standardising the format, he made the models take stage next to the entrance after their turn on the ramp, allowing further showcasing of the clothes. Russian influences merged beautifully with Indian embroidery as the occasional headgear turned into a king’s headpiece or a queen’s exaggerated veil, with one piece also sporting a monarch’s baton. As the livewire of music kept the show going, designer Anamika Khanna expressed her liking for the show. “Music along with the whole bygone era feel was my favourite part of the show,” she said. Ending the show in style was Tinu Verghese who came holding a Faberge egg.
As for Suneet Verma, who stuck to his adage of sari being the most versatile garment, used it in various forms during his show, be it a dhoti, a drape or a chunni. As the show began with a ship like setting, models posed on an imaginary dock with enough wind blowing to show the sheer volume of fabric used in each garment. The models teased the ramp, flicking their skirts for the shutterbugs and were as dramatic as the clothes themselves. Elaborately crafted headgear was a central element almost throughout the entire collection.
Dual toned layering in tulle, crushed silk and satin played peeping tom with churidars, flared pants and lehengas. Tassels were liberally used, either as headpieces or on the garments themselves.
Verma divided the show in three acts, differentiating each with a separate colour palette. With clothes in pastels, beige, blues and soft oranges, Verma let the jewellery fill in the bling quotient. Intricately woven in the clothes, the ornaments were even paired with a sari as blouse. And if this wasn’t enough for drama, then showstopper Bhawna Sharma’s veil came off right at the end calling for an exciting finish.