Made this collage with the help of illustrations by Suleman ChaiThe reason I try not to rant about India's Couture Fashion (read pride) is not because I'm not excited about dying handicrafts and time-worn traditional techniques painstakingly pummelled into ensembles, it's just a territory I tread very gingerly for the lack of fully understanding it's splendour or having seen it in the flesh (yet?) for me to talk trivially about it. Having added that disclaimer, Sabyasachi Mukherjee opened Delhi's first ever Couture Week with Aparajito; 'The Invincible', and I couldn't resist babbling about it! :)
Quintessential Sabyasachi angrakhas and anarkalis flowed down the runway built with rich Indian fabrics in a deep, muddy colour palette. Vintage nostalgic luxury shone through dull golds, pleats, red velvets, pearls, paisley, girls from Kamasutra running in the visuals and classic embroidery techniques like zardosi, brocade and tussar fabrics from Bengal, and kalamkari from Andhra Pradesh. Men also posed in powerful anarkalis with brocade churidars in Dabka work.
I will always love Sabya's voluminous design scheme, mysterious concealment of the body and the layering of multiple garments. Heck, if I don't get married in a Sabyasachi, I'm not getting married at all! :P
Click here to view the latest Sabyasachi Mukherjee 2011 collection at Lakme Fashion Week, Mumbai.
A note on the illustrator- Suleman Chai:-Shilo Shiv Suleman is an Indian illustrator, animator and visual artist based in the city of Bangalore. Her primary area of interest is visual storytelling through multiple mediums. She illustrated her first book for children at the age of 16 and has illustrated and published 8 others since with some of the most well known publishing houses in India. She has also been actively involved in setting up community art projects and collectives that get people to appreciate and create street art in their surroundings as well as use art and design to bring socially relevant issues in India to the forefront.