A week before the six-day India Couture Week (ICW) 2019 opened in New Delhi on Monday, the apex organising body, Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), released a formal note announcing the lineup. It stated how this edition would see 10 fashion designers reinterpret modern luxury, changing the tone by “adding functionality to decadence”.
It’s an interesting choice of words. There has been a noticeable shift in the way designers now look at Indian couture. In a preview video to his collection, Bloom (to be showcased tomorrow at Bikaner House), veteran designer Tarun Tahiliani makes an important point. “The western world is a bit ahead of us in terms of contemporary fit, cutting, tailoring... But we have married that with our textiles and embroideries, and created something that is unique,” he says.
If you scan through images from the early editions of ICW, you will notice the unmistakable “maharaja opulence”, as FDCI president Sunil Sethi calls it. Earlier, collections highlighted traditional embroideries, silken fabrics, voluminous lehengas and grand anarkali ensembles. “There weren’t as many gowns and western silhouettes as we see today, and menswear wasn’t a part of the scene. Now, it’s not just about wedding wear, but specialised ensembles for occasion wear,” Sethi points out.
An opulent set for Manish Malhotra’s show at FDCI India Couture week 2017
The sets for the 12th edition are on cue and have a polished aesthetic. Designer Amit Aggarwal’s opening show on Monday was held off-site at One Style Mile at Mehrauli. It was an interesting choice of venue, with unfinished brick walls as the backdrop for his installation-like garments. On day two, Suneet Varma was at DLF Emporio Mall, an off-site venue again. With a larger-than-life peacock with trailing red plumage in the background, by contrast, the collection looked a tad tired, and not very different from many of his extravagant shows in the past. Designer Rahul Mishra tapped into flower power on day three, with embroidery inspired from childhood summers at Malhausi, and sets recreating the cobbled streets of Monaco. The collection, which also included ensembles for men, was an extension of his showcase at Paris Couture Week earlier this month. Some key points:
Bridal and beyond
With nearly 10 million weddings being held every year in the country and the Indian wedding industry estimated to be in the excess of $50 billion, wedding/occasion wear remains the mainstay for our couturiers. Designers admit that nearly 90% of the couture business comes from weddings. “It’s not just buyers from Delhi; people from Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai and, more recently, Vadodara and Surat time their visit here with ICW,” says Sethi.
The muse is the “modern” Indian bride with a sizeable budget. One who wants to wear a bias-cut, fitted lehenga that boasts intricate craftsmanship but is lighter to wear, contemporary to look at and with a timeless appeal. It has to be functional, too, with pockets to hold her phone when she isn’t Instagramming the highlights of her sangeet. And reflect her personality: think plunging necklines for the confident. “Brides will spend anywhere between ₹8 lakh to ₹20 lakh on their wedding outfit,” says designer Reynu Tandon, who has been a part of six editions of ICW, and exhibited ‘The Savannah Saga’ at yesterday’s show.
“The brides of today like to see couture as more than just a garment, [but rather] as a state-of-the-art customised piece. They are keen to invest in clothing that cannot be replicated. This has definitely become the game-changer,” says designer Falguni Peacock, of the label Falguni Shane Peacock, who showed ‘Bonjour Amer’ yesterday. Then, there are celebrities (read young actors) who want luxurious, customised ensembles for the red carpet. Rephrase that: men who want a bespoke look for their special occasions. Not surprisingly then, the interpretations we are seeing on the ramp are a toss-up of traditional and avant garde designs.
An illustration from Pankaj & Nidhi’s debut couture line
Who’s behind the change?
How ICW has evolved in the last decade is most evident in the lineup of designers for this edition. Leading couturiers like Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Rohit Bal, Anamika Khanna, Anju Modi and Manish Malhotra may be conspicuous by their absence, but the space is filling up fast with younger labels. Like Pankaj & Nidhi, who presented their début couture line at the show, although they’ve been creating outfits for private clients for years. Designer Pankaj Ahuja says that just like their prêt collection, their approach to couture also has a western sensibility. “We include separates like long jackets and form-fitted dresses. We want to dress the bride, but for her reception, for a destination wedding, a red carpet event. Couture today is much more democratic,” he explains.
Designers are also experimenting with modern surface ornamentations, new-age fabrics and unique embellishment techniques. Aggarwal’s outfit for his showstopper, actor Kiara Advani, was embroidered with recycled polymer, while Gaurav Gupta’s collection interpreted infinity as ‘wearable art’ using wave-like multi-dimension construction. Designer Shyamal Shodhan, of the label Shyamal & Bhumika, feels that Indian couture would be incomplete without traditional embroideries and workmanship. “But the skill is in using it in a contemporary way,” he says, agreeing that there’s a shift towards lightness, without any compromise on embellishments. Pankaj & Nidhi’s show on day three made a strong case for this, with 3D hand-cut appliqués and precision inlay work on translucent tulles and satin organza in hues of molten gold and silver.
Getting on board
While the title sponsorships at ICW have changed over the years, an increasing number of jewellery labels are eager to collaborate. “It’s a credible platform to make a grand launch. Also jewellers know that a customer who is willing to get a ₹10 lakh lehenga can also buy their jewellery priced upwards of ₹25 lakh,” says Tandon, who has collaborated with Delhi-based designer Archana Aggarwal this year. There is interest from other quarters, too: like Mishra’s collaboration with Monaco tourism and Swarovski presenting the Tahiliani show. “It goes to show how important they think the ICW platform is to make inroads into a new market,” remarks Sethi.
The social network
FDCI has, over the years, “invested heavily” in social media presence, possibly taking a cue from designers like Mukherjee, the king of Indian wedding couture, who has successfully made the photo-sharing platform his global launch pad. While professionally-edited videos of interviews with ICW designers have been a novel part of the run-up, the shows are also being live-streamed. Post the show, high-resolution videos of the collection are being uploaded on an exclusive YouTube channel. “There is a lot of interest not just in India but around the world. We realise the importance of social media and wanted to tap its complete potential,” says Sethi. The designers, too, are taking the time to be part of these professionally-done shoots, as global reach means more clients.
