As you know, we wrapped up our #MMFridays Google+ Hangouts at India Couture Week 2014 in Delhi, last week. As #ICW2014 ended yesterday, here are 7 facts we learn about Indian couture and a flashback blog to all the hangouts.
1. Manish Malhotra: “Couture is subjective”
“…It depends on what you as a designer feel, what you as a designer wants to speak (and) what you as a designer wants to do. For example, a gown can be as couture as a lehenga or a jacket can be as couture as a sari.”
The ace designer explained that his strength is Indian clothes, so he wouldn’t just make a gown, just for couture week. For him, couture is bespoke; created, cultivated, curated and designed for weddings. In fact, all the embroidery in his collection has taken almost 4 months for each garment. So it’s a painstaking process, luxurious process that Manish Malhotra enjoys.
2. Monisha JAising: “Couture has to be well thought out”
“… a designer should be able to create that special garment, keeping in mind the wearability and the commercial success of that garment.” Monisha Jaising sees that kind of balance as a very important element of a great couture collection.
3. Gaurav Gupta: “The nature of a couture show in a country comes from its demography”.
In India, Gaurav Gupta mentioned how the Indian Couture Week is about what we as a country can offer the world. Indian couture is about bridal wear, colour and opulence. Gaurav also spoke of couture here, being younger as compared to other parts of the world (like Paris or Italy), so its identity is coming to form now.
4. Anju Modi: “A couture show is free of inhibitions and boundaries.”
“We just don’t keep any inhibitions and any boundaries. We allow our creativity and ideas to go free and do what we feel like”. Being true to her words, Anju Modi took the audience on a journey back as far as the 8th century with caves and monuments to showcase a story of incarnation.
5. Manish Arora: “Couture in India is bridal.”
“In India, couture is bridal…. So for bridal, as long as women will have this desire to have the most beautiful fairy tale wedding… which I don’t think is going to go off anywhere in my lifetime at least, there will be demand and there will be brides and there will be designers who will be selling over the top, over decorated and over expensive clothes!”
Interestingly, Manish Arora didn’t showcase a single dupatta in his Indian show as he doesn’t see the point of it. According to him, men do not cover their heads so why should the women? Bravo!
6. Rimple and Harpreet Narula: “The bride of today is going back to tradition in her own way.”
“Thank god that we are out of those fish cut (mermaid) lehengas.” The designer duo enjoy the return to traditional as far as the Indian bride is concerned. But they also notice a lot of experimenting with colours and they’re glad about it.
7. Sunil Sethi, President of Fashion Design Council of India: “Couture industry in India is evolving.”
Addressing the challenges of India fashion, here’s what Sunil Sethi had to say…
“… We don’t have the numbers to carter to a very viable kind of thing.” He says, “it all boils down to supply chain logistics. Unless the designers have the numbers and agents all around the would, who look after the business because one can’t be everywhere, supply chain logistics will keep boggling us down.” But on a lighter note, he points out to designers like Rahul Mishra, Manish Arora and Aneeth Arora, who are already showing that the change is here.
So tell us, what do you think of couture and who is you favourite bridal designer? Write in your answers in the comments below. To catch up on the conversations during India Couture Week and our hangouts, simple type in #ICW2014 and #MMFridays on social media to get in on all the buzz.