Celebration of colours
Ashima- Leena and Raghavendra Rathore hit the right notes on Day 2 of Bridal Week
Two renowned traditional wear designers, Ashima and Leena and Raghavendra Rathore hit all the right notes on Day two of the ongoing India Bridal Week. From soulful music to innovative runways to mesmerising showstoppers, both designers presented their distinctly unique collections. Ashima- Leena’s collection ‘ Jashn’ was a beautiful combination of delicate floral embroidery and heavy threadwork playfully done on varied colour palettes like peacock greens, blues, reds, gold and oranges. The silhouettes, cuts and shapes primarily were inspired from Islamic art and architecture and fabric like silk in the form of fine gold border, sheer tulle, organza formed the mainstay of the collection. The stage had real sand representing sand dunes of Arabian deserts. Live music by Gaurav Raina of Midivial Punditz along with stunning vocals by Kutle Khan, who mesmerised all with soulful songs like Tose naina milaike, Kitna sona tujhe rab ne banaya among others and Pandit Ajay Prasanna on the flute made the evening dreamy. Supermodel Ujjwala Rawat was the showstopper and was seen wearing a multi- coloured, full circled lehenga choli with a plunging neckline. On the other hand, the much-awaited Raghavendra Rathore show commenced with a spunky French song C’est si bon by Eartha Kitt. His collection “Re- incarnating Relics” consisted of sherwani, bandhgala jackets, achkans, Jodhpuri pants and most importantly dhotis. Shades of popping pink, sunny orange, bright purples, navy blues, dark maroons, black, beige and gold were spotted too. He said, “The silhouettes and fabrics are the usual. This time, I’ve emphasised the positioning of dhoti as a mainstream garment as my centre and main piece. With this collection I want to send out the message that we don’t always have to look to the West to create garments. I believe that it is time for us to focus on localisation of garments.”
The pairing of organza asymmetric skirts and lehengas with Rathore’s signature jackets reinvented the look of the modern day bride. Showstopper Aditi Rao Hydari was seen wearing a classic ivory sari with a bandhgala jacket, and Btown’s new face Ali Afzal looked fabulous in a pink and beige dhoti and kurta ensemble. When asked if he’d preferred to wear dhoti at his wedding, Ali said, “Why not? I would love to.” While Aditi added, “I have been a huge fan of Raghavendra Rathore, and I have been drooling over his menswear collection. I grew up watching my grandpa wearing Jodhpuri ensembles and bandhgalas, and I think it’s so lovely that Rathore presented it as a mainstream fashion. These styles and garments are so special to our country and seeing them on the runway is so lovely and glori-ous.”