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Tarun revels in Mughal glory
Recreating a section of the Meena Baazar, Tarun Tahilian wowed the crowds with his trademark drapes and jewel encrusted garments. Paakezah and Umrao Jaan influences brought in an old-world charm to the collection writes Sunanda Kumar.
Recreating a section of the Meena Baazar on the ramp, Tarun Tahilian wowed the crowds with his trademark drapes and jewel encrusted garments.
Paakezah and Umrao Jaan influences brought in an old-world charm to the collection that was fairly Western as far as silhouettes were concerned. The antique looking stones and chains woven in the garments lent it a rather Mughal style.
Even the individual pieces of jewellery like necklaces, earrings and hair accessories added to the regal feel of the line. "Since we spend so much energy on accessorising, this time I decided to design my own collection," Tahiliani said.
Replete with Swarovski pearls and heat-treated stones, the accessory collection is really worth a dekko.
The clothes were quite a treat to watch. Tahiliani has a knack for satiating varying appetites. If the jamevar on georgette jewel encrusted sarees are not your style, perhaps the Ivory and black silk georgette tunic in classic kurta cut might suit you better.
Effortlessly moving on to more Western garments like halter dresses in embroidered wool and silk charmeuse tartan print dresses, Tahiliani showed his maturity as a designer.
Commenting on the recent 'rip-off' controversy uncovered by Hindustan Times on the Mumbai-based store, Options, selling a copy of a Suneet Varma creation to designer Aki Narula, Tahiliani said that the country is littered with knock-offs.
"Perhaps we ourselves are to blame since we are not completely organised ourselves. We designers seem to be design labs that the plagiarists feed off on," he said.
Speaking animatedly on his trademark drapes, Tahiliani said that ours is perhaps the only country that has relied on drapes for centuries. He has recreated them by tailoring the garment and creating the illusion of yards of drape. "If you give a lineup of people from different states a simple white khadi cloth - you will be able to recognise where they come from by the way they drape their cloth," Tahiliani said.
He also feels that our country is the only one that places a lot of emphasis on heritage. "Most of the other countries' fashion doesn't depict their culture but we have really kept ours alive and must continue doing so," he said.
Adding that the grassroots craftsperson is of prime importance and that he tries his best to give them a wholesome life. "Earlier they wanted to go live in big cities and become a peon or driver - but now when they see an Aishwarya Rai or a fashion show showcasing their chikankari work, there is a sense of excitement," Tahiliani said.
The excitement caught on with the audience who went wild applauding a Tahiliani's beautiful, feminine and sensuous collection.
