Coaches, canvas, couture: Curtains!

It had all the makings of a grand opening---newly married Rani Mukerji in an ivory sari and Bottega Veneta clutch; a set resembling a train compartment; and of course, a sprinkling of unadulterated shimmer on the first day, first show of the Shree Raj Mahal Jewellers India Couture Week in association with Logix group, presented by FDCI.
It’s often that principle of fashion physics that comes into play – it’s not what you wear, but how well you wear it.This is something that Kolkata’s wonder boy, Sabyasachi Mukherjee, toyed with in his opening show for ICW 2014.
With his women’s wear carefully priced between `2.5 lakhs to `8 lakhs, with some pieces beginning from `85,000 onwards (a poplin kurta with a net dupatta and churidaar with hand-cut beads and crystals) – what he called ready-to-wear couture, straight off the rack – Sabya’s elaborate offerings set the right rhythm for the event. “I don’t want to alienate any customer,” he said with a smile. Maybe that’s why his menswear prices start between `65,000 and `4 lakhs.
After opening his store in Mumbai, Sabya fell terribly ill, putting his ICW show in jeopardy, but he was confident he’d be up and about, and he was. The collection, aptly titled ‘Ferozabad’, took shape when Sabya was sourcing glassware for his new store in Mumbai, came across ittar bottles and was mesmerised by the colour spectrum in tinted glass, which set the ball rolling as he fused Muslim motifs on a palette of ivory and beige.
Of special interest were the cut sequins in unusual emerald greens (or ‘evil green’, as he calls it) and fuchsia pinks; salma and dabka in bright reds; metallics in the deepest shades of blue customised for the showcasing, and of course, the highlight of the show, canvas lehengas, which Sabya says took embroidery quite willingly.
The street inspiration came from Ferozabad, Lucknow and Hyderabad, making each piece look museum-y, but in keeping with what Indian brides want, there were sophisticated European pastels making way for vivacious Indian bridal hues. “The bride still wants traditional clothing for her D-Day, but she is open to gowns, shararas and gararas for the cocktail or sangeet, maybe even an angarakha for the reception, so as a designer I move with the times. But it’s crucial each bride comes to me for the essence of the brand, which remains old world charm,” he admits.
Unabashedly claiming that he doesn't want to be trend specific, Sabya has ingeniously worked on finish, cut, and drape, and kept the volume restricted as he wanted to respect the wishes of the bride by being body-conscious. And a final mention for the boxy clutches, which came fully embroidered and sequinned, or the sling bags teamed up with zardosi coats and semi-precious stone-encrusted blouses.