The many moods of indigo
A dancer twirls onto the stage to the beats of the tabla. She spins to the front of the ramp as the audience applauds and strains of Piya Toh Se Naina Lage Re begin to play in the backdrop. Gaurang Shah’s show begins with a bang. As the kathak maestro, Barkha Patel, swirls back to the back of the ramp, the models start floating in, distinctive in the shades of indigo they wear. Gaurang’s collection is a continuation of his autumn and winter collection, Chandrabali. This time though the shades of rust, orange and olive have been replaced by the various hues of indigo with the occasional dash of pink and red. From floaty ghagras with artfully draped scarves and dupattas to intricately embroidered saris, the collection stays true to Gaurang’s traditional flair. “I made use of techniques from all across India in my work. From printing and bandhani to intricate embroidery, you will find it all in these designs. I even have a lot of dhakai jamdani which are typical to Bangladesh,” he says.
It took the designer 18 months to complete the collection. “The process for making these clothes starts from dying the yarn which is woven. I used indigo dyes from various parts of India and the shades of the clothes vary because the water from different parts of the country reacts differently with the dye,” he explains.
“I was listening to Lag Ja Gale one day in my car and I knew that I wanted to incorporate similar songs into my show,” says Gaurang.
Pretty in pinks
A line of white roses and wildflowers divided the ramp along the middle as models glided out in different shades of pink for Anushree Reddy’s show. Her collection was a range of formal wear. Beginning with nudes and pastel shades, the colour palate warmed up to vivid hot pinks set off with golds and reds. As always, the designer made use of a number of zardosi designs and an effusion of organzas, silks and khadis. As the models made way for showstopper Sania Mirza, the tennis champion glided out in a flared lehenga, a gauzy dupatta wrapped around her artfully. “Anushree didn’t give me any instructions. She has to be one of the most relaxed designers I have walked for. Both of us being Hyderabad girls, I felt like this was a match made in heaven,” Sania said.
As the models made way for showstopper Sania Mirza, the tennis champion glided out in a flared lehenga, a gauzy dupatta wrapped around her artfully.
Anushree added, “I love working with the colour pink and I have been able to use the colour palate to my heart’s content here. From the nudes to the hot pinks to the almost beige pink that I dressed Sania in, I have always thought that pink is a colour that one can do so much with. I’ve used a lot of floral motifs and unlike other times, these were mostly embroidered. So that was a very intricate and time-consuming process.”
Though the dresses seem elaborate and heavy, Anushree ensures us that they are meant for summer and are light enough on the body. She says, “Once you put on the dress, your body carries the weight and they’re not nearly as heavy as they look, since they are made from light-weight material. The collection is a mix of style and comfort.”
