Nupur Agrawal“Dear Bride
This is the day when the thousands of fluttering butterflies in your stomach will finally fly away, when you will see the sun shine brighter, laughs get louder and the clouds seem dearer, this is the moment when you will walk down the aisle and the glow of your face will fill the surroundings with an aroma so sweet, that the blooming flowers will shy away from their glory. The sun, the moon, the clouds, the souls, they will all be celebrating in your ecstasy. But remember, when you are walking your walk of happiness, transformation, beauty, you are not alone. Behind your love, respect, and eternal commitment, walks with you your shine, demeanour and your style, which will stand by you for years and years to come.”
It’s that time of the year when streets are waiting to get drenched, umbrellas find their way back to the human lives and you have a love-hate relationship with your air conditioner 😉 The months of July-August bring with them not just a hope for a blissful monsoon, but also the time when most of the girls step out to seek what is seeking them – their perfect bridal trousseau. Why is that ? Because October is one of the most popular months to get married and July is the time when one can actually step out and shop to their last breath without getting fried in the blazing summers. That’s the reason why the best and the most dapper fashion shows are scheduled during this time and despite heavy rains and traffic jams in the most urban cities, people from all the corners come to attend these shows.
One such show began this week in Delhi – India Couture Week 2017. Celebrating its 10th year, the fashion show did not open in its usual way and rather chose an unconventional path to begin its celebration. Anamika Khanna – the leading Indian fashion designer & the queen of classy ethnic & bridal couture opened India Couture Week with an Installation show – Happily Ever After. Keeping up with the right-out-of-a Disney fairy tale name, the fashion show did not witness any models walking in and out, but around 50 mannequins representing the various vivid moods of a beautiful Indian bride before her wedding day.
The essence of an Indian wedding could be felt right at the entrance of ‘The Kila’ which was decorated with dry & lush green leaves hanging from the top making it feel like a walk through a deep green forest trail. It was interesting to see a few lemons and green chillies hanging midst the leaves and petals, a gentle reminder that however beautiful and elegant, this is after all an Indian wedding 🙂
The gallery was seen beaming with bridal silhouettes and what is a bridal attire without its inseparable soul sister – jewellery 😀 With one of the ace luxury jewellery houses – Birdhichand Ghanshyamdas Jewellers as Jewellery Partner for the show, ‘Happily Ever After’ actually seemed possible. The mannequins were installed imaginatively taking us through a bride’s rendezvous with diverse wedding ceremonies viz. mehendi, haldi, phere etc narrating how every ritual unveils a different shade of the queen of the day.
If one is to walk down the aisle anytime soon or anytime later may be 😉 ‘Happily Ever After’ was like a dream come true as it offered on a golden platter some exciting fusions of couture & jewellery for all the ceremonies of a quintessential bride. The silhouettes saw a potpourri of pastels & florals splashed with a spectrum of sunset hues embodying lehengas, embellished jackets & flowing gowns complemented with multi layered necklaces, rings, heavy dangling earrings all carved with a lot of rose cut & uncut diamonds (polki) inlaid in bold pieces of emeralds & rubies. ‘Happily Ever After’ encompassed in its aura some strong wedding fashion goals not limiting to the bride, but also for the ones who hold her hands throughout this ordeal.
People think it’s the worst thing if it rains during a wedding, but do they know how it is to gaze at an array of soothing ensembles & surreal jewellery ambling in a forest through a rain dipped window ?
Let’s see what the Couture Week has in store for us next year !