Manish Malhotra showcases a contemporary Kashmir

Master couturier Manish Malhotra concluded Day 3 of the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Weekwith a collection dedicated to Kashmir and its flowers 'Gulalla' and 'Giltoor', their effervescent colours, and the state's long-standing embroidery.

It was during the shoot of Imtiaz Ali's Rockstar that Manish visited Kashmir for the very first time. His trip to The Achabal Gardens, dedicated to Mughal Empress Nur Jahan, and an exploration of the local markets inspired him to blend the ethnicity of the state into his modern cuts.

Manish gives showstopper a miss

He has been known more for his showstoppers than his designs, or so it may seem, but this time he drifted from his signature showstopper quotient. "Today's show was not about a showstopper, it was a tribute to the team of 65 craftsmen who work with me and have contributed immensely to this creation. I didn't want any showstopper's appearance to digress from the focus, which was Kashmir", Manish said after the show.

Gulalla and Giltoor lend floral hues and patterns

The Achabal Gardens are known for their two famous flowers, Gulalla and Giltoor, the former exuding rich tones of red and the latter humble whites and ivories. "I am a very colour person and since evening wear is my forte I love bright, happy colours", he said. Besides colours, floral patterns stitched on to silhouettes in the form of intricate embroidery and other fine thread work dominated the line up.

Manish sticks to his 'Evening Wear' style

Though his cuts have always been modern, the Indian-ness in this collection was loud and clear, thanks to the magic of thread work. While burnt orange silhouettes with gracious flair and broad belt like gold thread work around the waist translated the chain of thoughts, other garments like a green sari with zari embroidered borders and translucent Anarkali kurtis again bearing a festive flair and embroidered churidar sleeves brought back traditions with a twist. For men, there were black velvet kurtis with careful floral work on the cuffs and collar and blazing red silk blazers teamed with formal grey trousers and Patiala pants.

A very noticeable introduction in the collection were the Croatia blouses with straps made out of delicate laces, cross stitched floral patterns on silk-cotton Lehengas and skirts, and baby pink net dupattas with flower-like appliques. The line up truly was a brilliant showcase of contemporary Kashmir.

'Desi' fabrics make India proud

Among fabrics we saw a lot of soft jute but Manish's line up is incomplete without his favourite nets, chiffons, and silks that allow the finesse and the flair. Speaking on the material Manish said, "No matter what fabric or design is used, I always try and blend it with my style. In India, autumns are usually very pleasant, and hence I used sheer nets and Kashmiri tila work".

Front row attraction

Bollywood was spared on the ramp but it made its presence felt in the show with Mahima Chaudhary and Kangna Ranaut sitting together in the front row. Designers Suneet Verma and Nachiket Barve comprised the fashion fraternity audience. Other known faces included skin and beauty queen Shahnaz Husain, and Bigg Boss season 5 participant Pooja Mishra.

Price bracket: Rs. 35000 onwards

Rating: 8.5/10

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