Pallavi Jaikishan at India Bridal Week

ASHRAFIYAN by PALLAVI JAIKISHAN

The show started with an eclectic collection in mustard Gold the colours of gold nuggets studded with chartruse green French sequence – makes a totally glamorous statement – Yards and yards of gossamer tulle – studded with sequences adorned with flowers worked in French tape, – silk tape – and shaded resham flowers – in shaded of dusty pinks and dove blues – there are sarees with sensuous blouses – lehengas and coats. All this while soul stirring classic Bollywood songs added to the romantic mood of the show.

 A stunning line of sarees in happy colours as vermilion – pinks – reds – the fabrics used are – flattering georgettes – tulles.  A line of upada sarees specially commissioned in unusual and soft colours – adorned with crystals – sequence French tape. A collection of Lehenga’s for the Bride and her family – adorned with rich embroidery.

Courtesy : Tandem PR

Lakme Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2012 – Day 1

Lakme Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2012 starts in Mumbai with many designers showcasing their works on day 1. There were budding designers as well who showcased their work in the ‘Talent Box’ section. As a writer I would like to encourage new designers to showcase their talent, hence writing a criticism for their new collection will not be fair to the hard-work put in by them. This also stands for established designer, since all of them put in many month’s effort to bring out their collection every new season. In our review I will only comment on the collection that I liked the best in terms of design, originality, fit & cut. IFP’s pick for Day 1 are Payal Singhal and Pallavi Jaikishan for the fact that their collection had all the elements of perfection and were glorious.

However I am on the fence about few designer’s work that would include Pia Pauro, Jatin Varma, Nandita-Anuradha Thirani and Ritu Beri. I did like few outfits from their collection but not all………maybe I was looking out for something unique in their work. Here is a look at these designer’s creations which were showcased at LFW this year:

Photo courtesy : http://www.lakmefashionweek.co.in

Pai Pauro

Jatin Varma

Nandita and Anuradha Thirani

Ritu Beri

 

Payal Singhal

Payal Singhal’s new collection ‘India in Colour’ was inspired by various regions of our beautiful country………..from the vibeant bright colours to the alluring pastels, Payal’s creations had it all. The silhouettes remained oriental with kurtas, kaftans, tunics, dresses, short ghagras and kalidar saris had fine detail-work of with intricate peeta, abhla, mirror and zardozi work.  Anchor and model Shibani Dandekar along with professional dancer Puneet Pathak were the show stopper for Payal Singhal.  Shibani wore a mirror work asymmetric lehenga with a sexy blouse while the Puneet  was dressed an ecru silk kurta and gold Patiala salwars.

IFP liked this collection for the vibrant colours and the beautiful lehengas which had mirror work all over. These outfits spoke so much about India in such a beautiful way.

Pallavi Jaikishan

Designer Pallavi Jaikishan completed 40 years in this fashion industry which in itself is a big feat. She started out designing for Bollywood actresses and wives but her name is now synonym with bridal-wear in India. The collection was divided in 4 parts Sajala, Mandara, Elavia and Ayiana. Sajala collection had mostly pastel colors with heavy borders and zari work, Mandara had the colors of a tree with pink & coral roses, Elavia had bridal colors like red & vermillion with orange blossoms which is a signature ‘Pallavi Jaikishan’ style while Ayiana had bridal lehengas which were heavily embellished with detailwork.

Looking at Pallavi’s magnificient works I am in awe of her regal designs. The lace, zari work, floral motifs, rich fabric oozed loads of opulence. A wedding trousseau ‘must have’ if you are the bride looking out for royalty in your wardrobe choices.

Aamby Valley India Bridal Week – Day 3

Show stopper Kangana Ranaut and the face of the Aamby Valley India Bridal Week 2011 walked down the ramp in a fully crystal embroidered lehenga and choli with a sheer net dupatta. She did look very graceful in the pink lehenga.

Pink was the centre of attraction as Jyotsna Tiwari unveiled her gorgeous bridal wear collection to open Day Three at the Aamby Valley India Bridal Week 2011.

The white cutwork panels in graduating heights and the filigreed backdrop was the ideal start to the all pink collection, a colour that is loved by every woman in the world.

Using influences from Victorian art and vintage décor, the garments were opulent with the most gorgeous fabrics as the base. Silk, chiffon, Chantilly lace, tulle and velvet along with rich handlooms sparkling with gold and silver came together for the glittering saris, lehengas, floor length ensembles and ankle skimming gowns.

Opening the show with a tiered ruffled gown with a marked Spanish influence worn by, Jyotsna continued the theme with a draped bodice gown with sparkling crystals. Moving into the lehenga section giant Indian motifs were placed creatively over the flouncy lehengas while one of the absolute stunners was the lacy embroidered bridal creation

Jyotsna Tiwari’s collection will be available at her Juhu store ‘Jona’.

One of the pioneers of glamorous fashion in India, the name Pallavi Jaikishan is a “must have” in every bride’s wardrobe.

Divided into four segments the garments catered to the various bridal events. The Gossamer range was in delicate lace, which glittered with French tape, shaded ribbons and sequin. La Russe had inspirations of Russian prints and lush velvets in rich tones were turned into kurtas, jackets, saris, blouses and gilets. Royal Splendour was a line of the most exquisite saris in tulle and georgette in pastels and vibrant tones, matched with seductive cholis. Finally, Adornment was a collection for the wedding day with  multi coloured  lehengas in tulle, lace, Duchess silk and Dupion embellished with resham, French tape and sequins. This was a section that had everything that a bride dreams of and much more. Pallavi ended the show with Rachel in a very regal red fully embroidered panelled lehenga with a gold choli and red net dupatta.

For creations that can turn into family heirlooms which will be handed down generations, Pallavi Jaikishan’s latest collection will provide the most unforgettable garments.

Do check out the collection of these two talented designers in our next post.

Courtesy : Tandem Communications

Bridal Couture for 2011

Major part of my holidays actually went into seeing hindi movie which is what I dearly miss staying abroad. Another movie which impressed me after ‘Guzaarish’ has to be ‘Band, Baaja, Baraat’………………so much of colour be it in the setting, background, food or glorious clothes…………by which I come back to my favourite topic ‘C-L-O-T-H-E-S’. Bless the person who invented it…………else what fun it would be to live like Adam & Eve 😉

Like any Indian girl, I still love the idea of getting all decked up to go for a wedding, sangeet or a party in Salwar Kameez, Saree or a Kurti Jeans with bangles, jhumkis, ethnic sandals & potli. Despite being married for more than 2 years, I still yearn to wear my wedding lehenga, but do manage to take a sneak peek at it every single time I come back to India. Wedding Attire is important decision every woman makes for D-day which can make her look like a million bucks or make others look much better than her[poor thing]. I am very inspired with the upcoming year 2011 and the wedding fashion in store for all, with new and legendary designers making a beeline for wedding couture. Hope I am able to bring the best wedding fashions for the new year since every Indian girl dreams her entire life of wearing ‘The Bridal Lehenga’ or ‘Bridal Saree’ on her Wedding Day.

JJ Valaya

 JJ Valaya’s bridal collection is to die for………………the moment a Valaya bride walks in, the crowd is enthralled by her grace and elegance combined with the richness of the bridal lehenga. His recent Bridal collection displayed at Pearl Infrastructure Couture Week is definitely at top of my list for must have bridalwear in the new year. The colours red & golden which are fit for any bride, take centre stage in his new collection which was inspired by beautiful Rajasthan. The exquisite traditional detail work leaves me breathless with its beauty. If you are looking for something regal, JJ Valaya’s bridalwear is where your journey would end.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

  

  

 

Tarun Tahiliani

Tarun definitely needs no introduction when it comes to Bridal couture, for he has led the way for others. He had recently organised Bridal Couture Exposition in Gurgaon & Mumbai which got a whole lot of people together to catch the first glimpse of his recent bridal collection. What makes him stand apart is the amazingly done detail work especially with Swaroski crystals which reflect Indianess in every bit. His bridal outfits look like a dream come true and the woman wearing it on her D-day feels like a Queen. If you are the type who loves the glitz, wants to look glamorous and money is no issue, then enter the fabulous world of Tarun Tahiliani’s Bridal Dream. I put my bets on the fact that someday in the future, a Tarun Tahiliani’s Bridal outfit will be seen as ‘Vintage’ which you can surely show it off to your grandchildren………..:-)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

  

 

  

  

  

Neeta Lulla

 Neeta’s recent collection displayed at the Amby Valley Bridal Week was definitely worth a look. I am glad that Neeta is coming back to her glorious ‘Devdas’ days of blending colour and embroidery to bring out a glorious outfit. This wedding season, I would suggest brides-to-be to take a look at Neeta’s Bridal collection which has sarees and lehengas with loads of detail work. Lovely colours in magenta,pinks, mehendi greens,orange, golden and maroons were seen on the runway as part of Neeta Lulla’s presentation. So if you are the traditional type of bride who loves to mix & match colour, Neeta Lulla might be a perfect fit for your Trousseau.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

  

  

Pallavi Jaikishan 

Surprisingly I never thought that lace could ever suit Indian Bridal outfits……………but Pallavi Jaikishan has made that possible by using her trademark style with Chantilly lace, combining it with our Indian designs & fabrics. The outcome……..a breath-taking collection which oozes loads of grace. She has extensively used chiffon, crepes, Georgette and net with sequin work for the much-needed ‘bling’ but the outfits never looked over the top. For a bride who is in search of sophistication, Pallavi’s creations might just answer your D-day outfit queries.

 

   

Manish Malhotra

Who doesn’t want to be dressed by this amazing magician……………….why do I call him a magician, simple since his clothes transform any woman into a ‘Diva’. Every fashionista’s wants to own a classic piece of Manish Malhotra’s collection. He has brought ‘finesse’ and loads of colours to Bridalwear. One of the few designers who made women leave red, choose unlikely & different colours like peach, yellow, blue, pink, golden and so many more. He has stood out for his detail work with is very fine yet has the element of ‘bling’ in subtle tones. In his recent collection, one can find Manish using loads of gotta work, zari work, kundan, kashmiri embroidery and velvet to create a distinctive look for the bride & bridesmaids. Overall I am a fan of his Bridal designs both ‘on’ & ‘off’ ramp.

 

 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

Abu Jani – Sandeep Khosla

Abu Jani & Sandeep Khosla made a re-appearance after many years on the ramp during the Pearls Infrastructure Couture Week – 2010 thought their recent creations were no doubt very classic, but needed more creativeness from this talented duo. They still stand out to be one of the finest when it comes to Indian Bridalwear. This festive season they have presented a collection where classic diva & a rocker chick collide to combine a beautiful fusion in Bridal attire. There is colourful metallic sequin work on the lehengas and sarees that provide with the ‘Glitter’ to the recent collection plus the sober pale hues add a hint of luxury to the entire ensemble. The floral motifs on the outfits neatly placed added the much-required pop of colour. If you as a bride feel that you wanna be adventurous on your big day, yet retain the element of ‘elegance’ Abu Jani – Sandeep Khosla’s collection is tailor-made for your style.

 

 

 Anupama Dayal

 

Anupama Dayal was a surprise to me this festive season with her display of bridal collection at Lakme Fashion Week Winter/Festive this year. With such beautiful work up her sleeve for bridal collection, I am sure there will be many takers for her designs. The fact why I am featuring Anupama’s collection in Bridal couture for next year is that it is contemporary yet very traditional at the same time. A bride who wants a bridal outfit without too much of bling can check out this collection done up in gotta detailing, metallic embellishment and motifs over Banarsi brocade, silks, Georgette and net. Plus with a variety of colours, you will have plenty to choose from. Suited well for the bride who wants to look different from the rest of the crowd on her own D-day.

  

  

  

Abhi Rahul

I liked Abhi & Rahul’s saree & lehenga collection displayed at Lakme Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2010 because of the festive colours and the embroidery work. Honestly if the traditional Indian Bridalwear is without detail work, there is not much fun in flaunting it. Even if the embroidery or the zari workis used to the minimum but should not be devoid of it. Abhi Rahul’s collection is for the bride who wants to dress up more subtly than be demure on her wedding day. The backgrounds have muted tones combined with bright colour sequin work. The collection has rich fabrics like silks, velvet along with rubia cotton, colourful khadi, brocade and net. I am a fan of their styling of a saree with a matching jacket as seen below. Very contemporary and glamorous yet fit for the cold Indian winters.

 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

Anamika Khanna

For the very contemporary Bride, your search deinitely would end after looking at Anamika Khanna’s recent Bridal collection which is not for the faint hearted. If you truly wish to surprise the crowd by going modern rather than traditional, this will fit the bill. Loads of gotta & zari work with sequin work on an unlikely fabric like velvet for a rich look plus combining corsets with sarees, lehengas and even salwars have been a highlight of this collection. Angarakhas made a come back, thanks to Anamika’s creativity while the dupattas with heavy embroidered patterns on the ends, empowered the entire outfit. If you are very fashion forward & not afraid to take risks, you have just hit the jackpot.

Photo Courtesy: www.daylife.com, www.vogue.in, www.stylekandy.com, www.masala.com

Pearls Infrastructure Delhi Couture Week 2010 – Day 3

The third day had Manav Gangwani & Pallavi Jaikishan [Pics to be uploaded ASAP]  presenting their respective collection. Will the collection work magic with the audience or just fade out. Let’s find out…………..

Manav Gangwani

Manav Gangwani combined the old-time charm with Indian culture to present his new collection ‘An affair to Remember’ which had both Indian and western outfits. It was definitely an affair to remember since this time around Manav went more for the westernized look in his outfits but the gowns seemed more fit for the ‘Barbie Dreamland’. But I somehow loved the creative head pieces which the models wore with the outfits…………….stylewise the show was great……………clotheswise some western designs were not wearable……………honestly not many prefer to walk down the red carpet wearing a huge ball gown which reminds people of a doll birthday cake. Though his Indian designs rocked…………..the Swaroski crystal detailing was beautiful. The collection had sarees, lehengas and gowns in bright colours…………..Manav captured the essence of Indianwear by creating outfits which had loads of bright hues. My verdict on this collection : Indianwear definitely will rock, some gowns will also do well but the big ball gowns………..Manav please avoid those…………..I feel that is not your style.

Photo courtesy : www.daylife.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Pallavi Jaikishan

 Pallavi Jaikishan’s new collection revolved around three themes – Nostalgia, Maharani & Sitare……………I must say these inspirations did reflect a lot in her clothes. She is the ‘Vera Wang’ of Indian Bridal Couture in fact she started way before Vera Wang started her label…………but 36 years of experience does make her creation a ‘vintage’  since they are classic, elegant and can be handed down to generations. The ‘dreamy collection’ as I would call it had beautiful creations in lehegas, churidhars, sarees with velvet cholis………….Pallavi’s signature style of combining chantily lace, crystals, sequins, embroidery with fabrics like net, georgette, satin and velvet was also seen in the outfits. Subtle, alluring, striking hues were the focus point of this amazing collection. The entire ramp looked like a bridal wonderland with models sashying down the ramp wearing colours like peach, yellow, beige, pinks, sky blues, ash grey fused with darker shades like maroon, orange, black and purple. Loved the clothes, loved the works…………….but the background setting of the show was similar to Pallavi’s earlier shows…………..a little bit of drama would have added that much required glamour quotient to the collection. Nonetheless Pallavi’s creation were fabulous, spoke a lot of volume and were very,very Indian.

Photo Courtesy : www.prokerala.com, www.daylife.com

 

 

 

Designers who are pioneers in Indian Bridal Couture

A Bride-to-be is always puzzled when it comes to finding the perfect dress for the D-day. To make her search easier here are some designers who have re-defined Bridal Wear with their originality. With exceptional use of colour and design, an Indian Bridal outfit never looked better. Each Designer has carved a niche for themselves in Bridal Couture. They prove it is not necessary that the  colour of Bridal wear be Red only. Colours like Peach, pink, blue, lavender, orange when fused with embroidery and darker shades can make a Bride look exceptionally magnificent.

Thanks to these designers who have introduced long forgotten Indian  embroidery designs and helped it to be kept alive. Every year in Fashion week we always look forward to their new collection and are seldom disappointed. Here are few pioneers in Indian Bridal Couture who have successfully made new rules in Style.

Ritu Kumar       

The first lady of Indian Fashion Industry is what Ritu Kumar has been addressed. She has brought out the best in Indian Craft and Design Heritage by working on traditional works like block prints, zardosi embroidery, kashmiri kadhai, chikan kari, etc. Indian Designs have got a new lease of life due to her creative designs. She has helped many craftsmen to revive the dying legacy of Indian textile and embroidery. Every Indian Bride dreams of owning an outfit by Ritu Kumar. She has single handedly given infinite colour choices in Bridal Trousseau than any other Designer. Her experiments with mix and match of colours and embroidery have worked excellently with the Indian Customers. ‘Royalty’ is how her line of Bridal Wear can be described where every bride looks very much like a princess on her Wedding day. You can find her Bridal Wear in array of colours and embroidery designs in materials like crepe, net, georgette, silks etc. at her boutique which has branches in all major cities in India and abroad. Even though she has introduced a line of Western wear as well, Indian Bridal wear and Sarees remain her forte till this day. She has dressed celebrities like Princess Diana, Sharmila Tagore, Rajmata Gayatri Devi, Jemima Khan, Sushmita Sen, Aishwarya Rai, Priyanka Chopra, Mandira Bedi and all the Miss India Representative for International Pagents. Above in the photograph Priyanka Chopra looks fabulous in Ritu Kumar’s creation which she wore for HDIL India Couture Week

Tarun Tahiliani

 Tarun Tahiliani was the creator of the store ‘Ensemble’ the first multi brand fashion boutique in 1987. How can we forget Shilpa Shetty who is his muse walking down the stage for ‘Big Brother’ in the beautiful Saree accessorised with Kundan Jewellery designed by Tarun. He has also designed Bridal Trousseau for Shilpa Shetty and Priya Chatwal He is the Master of Indian Bridal Couture with modern look as he creates a beautiful fusion between the Western and Indian Trends in Bridal Wear.  His Creations are rich in traditional zardosi kadhai with the sparkle of Swaroski Crystals. Always has something new to show to his audience at Fashion Week. The Bride wearing Tarun Tahiliani Outfit is definitely a show stopper at her wedding. He has dressed Aamir Khan, Vijay Mallya, Prince of Bhutan, Urmila Matondkar, Deepika Padukone, Ramona Garware, Arjun Rampal, Aishwarya Rai, Elizabeth Hurley and Priya Chatwal. Seen above is Shilpa Shetty walking down the ramp in his creation of a Bridal outfit made out of Brocade with gold Zardosi embroidery and Swaroski crystal work.

   Manish Malhotra

Manish Malhotra needs no introduction since the Indian fashion trends have been set by his designs worn by famous actresses in Bollywood films. He started his career by designing outfits for Juhi Chawla for movie ‘Swarg’and since then there has been no looking back for him. His designs have emphasized more on the silhouette and embroidery on the rim of the outfit rather than designing an all over heavily embellished bridal wear. Sarees in unconventional fabric like net and chiffon were brought in by Manish to the Indian client with a fresh look. His clothes have simple design yet are glamorous due to their cut and fit. He has created the most amazing Bridal look with the lighter colour palette like beige, lavender, baby pinks which have been unusual for Indian Bridal Wear. If you are wearing a Manish Malhotra outfit on your Wedding Day, you can never go wrong in impressing people. He has dressed most of all leading ladies in Bollywood and has the ‘Kapoor Sisters’- Karisma and Kareena as his Muse.

Pallavi and Bhairavi Jaikishan

The Mother – Daughter Duo have successfully combined the ethnic Indian themes with western designs. Pallavi Jaikishan is wife of well know music director Late Jaikishan, but gained admiration for carrying off her own elegant Saree creations at film parties. People took notice of her designs and hence her idea of starting her own fashion line came into existence. Her Daughter Bhairavi has added the western twist to her mother’s creations and helped the label to expand towards western wear for women, men’s wear and household linen. Together they both have introduced pearl embroidery, Chinese embroidery combined with chikankari, Gotta work and zardosi embroidery on brocade to the Indian clientele. Unconventional Fabrics like mulmul, organza chanderi, brocade and tissue have been used with bead and sequin work to craft their Bridal wear. For their recent collection displayed in Bridal Asia, 2009 they have elegantly combined georgettes, satin, chiffons, silk brocades, chantilly lace to create Sarees, Salwar Kameez and Lehengas. One of their creations is displayed above in the picture. Their celebrity clients include Avanti Birla, Anil Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Twinkle Khanna, Queenie Dhody and Karan Johar.