This year the Fashion Design Council of India celebrates the 10th anniversary of India Couture Week. A decade of couture! 14 couturiers have showcased their haute couture collections during this festive 10th edition, which took place from July 24-30 2017 at the Taj Palace Hotel in New Delhi. The gallery includes my favourite runway looks from the last three days of ICW 2017.
Monisha Jaising: Opera
Monisha’s couture collection was inspired by the Opera: from its visitors to the dynamics of a performance on stage. An opera shows both strong character as fragility, which Monisha translates to a dynamic colour palette, from burgundy to rose pink and from metallic to ice blue. This collection oozes glamour and stage drama!
Varun Bahl: Dream Nouveau
Varun looked to the Art Nouveau period for inspiration. More specifically he was inspired by Chezh Art Nouveau painter and artist Alphonse Mucha’s masterpieces like the Le Pater (1889), The Seasons (1896), and The Flowers (1898). The range plays with curvi linear patterns, asymmetrical lines, and floral and plant motifs.
The colour palette is a mix of ivory, pale pink, peach, burnt orange, pistachio, red, and old rose.
Anita Dongre: Tree of Love
“Tree of love is a collection that is special to me. It is inspired by everything I love and respect- memories of childhood summers in the garden with my grandfather and the spiritual reverence for nature that the Bishnoi tribe shares. I’ve married together my love for trees, rich Indian craftsmanship and music into one collection making this a true work of joy.”
Gaurav Gupta: Moondust
For this season’s haute couture collection Gupta looked to both the past and the future for inspiration. From the past he picked up on themes like fairytales, princesses and magical castles. From the future he summons innovative techniques and materials: sculptural shapes that seem surreal. Moondust also represents the meeting point of the East and the West: Indian craftsmanship and European techniques meet.
Rina Dhaka
With her couture collection Rina supports #HonorTheSmile, an initiative by NGO Smile Foundation and Honor8Pro to support the cause of girl child empowerement. The show featured voluminous pieces, showcasing the drama and opulence of royalty. ”make sure to SMILE and spread Smiles” was Rina’s message after the event.
Manish Malhotra: Sensual Affair
‘Sensual Affair’ tells the story of a woman embracing her sensuality and desire. The collection exists of 75 outfits with voluminous, billowing skirts, intricate embroidery, body hugging corsets and shimmering fabrics. Bollywood meets Hollywood glamour!
Image: Bollywood actors Alia Bhatt & Ranveer Singh made a runway appearance as showstoppers, they were joined by the FDCI president Sunil Sethi and designer Manish Malhotra.
Images, in order of appearance: (featured image: Anita Dongre), Monisha Jaising, Varun Bahl, Varun Bahl, Anita Dongre, Anita Dongre, Gaurav Gupta, Rina Dhaka, Manish Malhotra
