Eclectic Ranveer and Alia bring Manish's 'sensual affair' alive at a couture finale

New Delhi: India Couture Week celebrated its tenth anniversary in style by putting up a spectacular grand finale with Manish Malhotra as the designer and young stars Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh as his muses.

The designer, who has been a part of the FDCI India Couture Week for the past seven years, tried to break out from the 'quintessential bridal' space with his new collection titled 'Sensual Affair'.

"I wanted to put up a show which was a bit different. I didn't want to do a quintessential bridal collection. Clothes are all about the cocktail, sangeet and reception, but not about the wedding day," Manish told reporters here post the show.

The designer said for him Alia and Ranveer signify the "young and different" and hence the actors were the obvious choice to be the showstoppers.

Manish said he wanted to collaborate with Ranveer for the past three years and is happy that finally he could get the 'Bajirao Mastani' star to walk for him.

"For me, when you think of young and different you can only think about Alia and Ranveer. They are eclectic, fabulous and talented and are just getting better day by day. I have been telling Ranveer to walk for me for the past three years.

"He is always enthusiastic and lovely. He said, 'There will be a day when I will walk for you and it will be fabulous.' And yes, it is fabulous."

Talking about Alia, the designer said, "Alia is ours. Karan (Johar) and I... We both are like 'she is ours'. Every step she takes we all feel like proud elder brothers. She is evolving and it is just fantastic."

Recreating a bygone era, the collection focused on luxuriant volume and noble fabrics that added a sensuous feel to the garments.

From the colour palette and the meticulous detailing to the softness of the drapes, each element was mindfully constructed to weave together subtle nuances of legacy with the intricacy of couture.

Fine antique threads and vintage motifs were used to accentuate the subtle elegance of each outfit.

Donning one of the most stunning pieces from the collection, Alia looked nothing less than a princess on the ramp. The beige and silver dress, with a long train, made the actress the star of the night.

Alia, 24, said it was her dream to walk for Manish, even before she made her Bollywood debut.

"The first time I ever attended Manish's show was at Delhi Couture Week. It was even before 'Student of the Year'. Katrina was walking and I was in the audience and I was like, 'Wow... One day I want to be that person walking on the ramp.' Thank you, Manish for making that dream come true.

"It does feel fantastic working with Manish every time. He is so inspiring. After so many years he still feels anxious backstage," the actress said.

Alia said she was nervous to walk the ramp because of the long train and high heels.

Manish's collection was a combination of stunning pieces for both the bride and groom. While gowns, skirts and blouses, accentuated with a train or a cape, dominated the bridal range, sherwanis and bandhgalas with heavy embroidery made it to the grooms section.

Ranveer, who is known for his experimental sense of style, was dressed in a blue sherwani with intricate gold embroidery.

The 32-year-old actor praised the designer for evolving with each passing year.

"There is a lot of prestige attached to walking for Manish Malhotra. 27 years... He is looking like a 27-year-old. He is fabulous and passionate. He is always trying to do something different and constantly growing, which is a mark of true creator," Ranveer said.

The collection involved a heavy dose of zari, mull work and embroidery. To make his long and heavy skirts comfortable, the designer used cages under them.

The colour palette was mainly all about pastels and champagne hues with a hint of maroon. The designer said he decided to keep the colours subtle as his creations already had a lot of drama attached to them.

Manish's signature fringes and sequence work were also part of the range.