[1]Ain’t no show like a MA show, ‘casue a MA show don’t stop – the sentiment exactly explains the state of mind for most audiences, who witnessed designer Manish Arora’s “Indian” collection on the fourth day of the PCJ Delhi Couture Week. The designer showcased his very first desi bridal collection titled ‘Indian by Manish Arora’, and mentioned that the underlying them of the show highlighted the early days of his career when he was influenced by kitsch and LSD patterns.
Manish did an elaborate set for this show and decorated the runway with multi-coloured swans arranged in circular fashion, surrounded by pillars made of earthen pots that gleamed in UV light. The background score from the movie Gangs Of Wasseypur accompanied with loud whistles was the ultimate mood setter, and thus began the psychedelic countryside trip by the designer.
The designer’s signature style was very evident in the over-the-top ensembles that were paired with funky accessories like Venetian masks and solid gold heels. Speaking about the accessories, he mentioned, “When I started out as a designer, I was greatly inspired by gods and goddesses. The eye masks are my version of the goddess Durga.”
The designer chose a varied colour palette and started the show with pastel shades, slowly moving towards the vibrant Indian hues like red, blue, green and orange. One could also see the mélange of neon colours that were used to create trippy patterns on lehengas, saris and anarkali kurtis. Manish mentioned that since this was an India-inspired line hence he used “pure” fabrics like silk, crepes georgette and chiffon.
He paired his bright Indian outfits with heavily embellished jackets that were accentuated by bold gold sequins, embroidery and zardosi handwork, which gave the entire ensemble a very ‘baroque’ appeal. The designer also added a quirky touch to the garments by using gold heart prints and traditional peacock motifs in geometrical patterns.
Links:
[1] http://archive.asianage.com/tab8jpg-036