BAL RINGS IN COUTURE DAY 1 WITH MUGHAL MAGIC
The gravitas or grandeur of Indian textiles encapsulated the first day of the 10th edition of the India Couture Week with noted designer Rohit Bal presenting his collection ‘Shahaan-e-Khas’ that paid an ode to Mughal craftsmanship on Monday. The offsite show that took place at Bikaner House, owned by the Rajasthan Government. The embellished bridal lehengas came with long jackets,‘90s shoulder pad inspired blouses, trailing sleeves, larger-than-life cape jackets and more. Bal, who never strays too far from references to his home state of Kashmir, continued his exploration of the theme using his signature style.
Menswear too didn’t fail to make a presence and several bandgala Jodhpuri suit, sherwani, etc. were seen. The colour palette that began with pristine white graduated to regal red, royal navy blue, green and noir. Intricately designed embroideries that took the form of rooster motifs, Mughal and Mongolian soldiers/warriors, vivid flowers and leaves displayed primarily on a rich fabric like velvet showcased different stitching techniques from India. The Swarovski crystals added shine to the opulent range. Bal’s designs were rich without being loud and actor Arjun Rampal, FDCI president Sunil Sethi, former vice-president (marketing and communication) Christian Dior, Kalyani Saha with her daughter, designer Raghavendra Rathore, Zubaan director Mozez Singh, Vivek Sahni of Kama Ayurveda Rekha Purie, Shalini Passi were seen on the ramp.