Day III of the Delhi Couture Week belonged to the S brigade - Sharmila Tagore, Shraddha Kapoor, Sonakshi Sinha and Sonam Kapoor - the four showstoppers who added dollops of stardust to the ramp during each of the shows they walked for.
But despite these tinseltown names and attendance from those who are to the social circles born, the focus firmly remained on the clothes, with the five designers presenting an interesting mix of Indian and western couture ensembles. While Adarsh Gill proved her competence with shimmer and embroidery, Shantanu and Nikhil's rendezvous with cocktail couture was like a breath of fresh air (just like the theme of their show). Anju Modi, Ashima-Leena and Manish Malhotra went back into the books of history to dig out yesteryear techniques and brought alive the style of old world couture to the ramp.
Maya jaal
Even though there were issues with the afternoon slot initially, but everything was forgotten (even if momentarily for the sake of a successful show), and the shows executed without any hassle. Anju Modi's emphasis was on the rebirth of forgotten crafts in contemporary forms and her collection was a successful testimony to the effort. Since it was based on the mystical concept of maya, Anju stuck to colours associated with celestial bodies like ivories, blue and maroon. Her saris especially stood out for their finesse. While Shujaat Husain was one of the front row guests, Shraddha Kapoor was the showstopper for the designer. About the show, Payal Jain said, "Anju's style is very classic and sophisticated, and that's what she showcased today also."
Shimmer and glimmer
After Manav's show the previous day, the Khan khandaan made a stopover at Adarsh Gill's show. Present were Zarine Khan with friend Sunanda Pushkar Tharoor, Fardeen and Natasha Khan, Farhan and Laila Furniturewala, Ramola Bachchan and Shabnam Singhal, among others. Adarsh stuck to classic silhouettes like gowns and saris, but experimented with the embellishments. Her ensembles were clearly for the girl who can transition to being the diva and knows that she can rock the glimmer and the shimmer with equal ease. The jewelled hues only added to the classic appeal of the clothes and after the show, we heard Zarine exclaim, "AG, you rocked it darling!"
Old world charm
Ashima and Leena Singh were inspired by the opulence of old world dressing and drew their couture inspiration from the halls of Indian textile history. The creations drew primarily on the richness of heritage brocades and shades like dried rose, peaches as well as royal mauves. Shovana Narayan's students opened the show, setting the tone for a classical production. However, this designer duo also played on the concept of innovative pairing, combining things like drapes and churidars. About this collection, Payal said, "The collection was very Indian couture, but very elegant." Actress Sharmila Tagore walked the ramp for the duo and said that since she herself comes from a royal family, she can appreciate their creations.
Scent of a woman
Designer duo Shantanu and Nikhil's cocktail couture line was like a breath of fresh air among the many bridalwear collections on display, and appropriately titled Perfume. The designer duo combined their expertise in draping with vintage fashion elements like delicate French lace to create their occasion clothing line. Fluid fabrics were married with powdery hues in long gowns and lehenga dresses.
The brothers' guest list included Ayaan and Amaan Ali Khan, Neema Khan, Jas Arora, but it was Sonakshi Sinha's parents Shatrughan and Punam Sinha who caused a flurry among the shutterbugs. But the high point of the show was Sonakshi who took to the ramp in a pure white creation by the designers, about which she said, "I love how they understand what a modern girl likes to wear."
