The Shantanu and Nikhil showing at India Bridal Week on Monday evening was an escape into the Renaissance period where luxury, opulence and elegance were the bon-mots and gold leaf designs held court, all through the collection.
The brothers, known for their flamboyant and rich silhouettes and for dressing a number of Bollywood stars like Neha Dhupia and Chitrangda Singh, made sure they did not disappoint their audience as they displayed a line which was “To die for”! Yes, that was the name of their collection which consisted of ball gowns, sarees, lehengas and sherwanis for men.
Team MissMalini picks out five things we particularly liked about the show:
CAUGHT IN A NET:
Keeping their look as international as possible, Shantanu and Nikhil sent all their female models down the ramp with their faces enclosed in net with gold chain-mail hanging down from gold leaf headgear. The male models, however, had no such covering. Interesting!
FLARED BLOUSES:
We were very intrigued by the baby doll flared peplum blouses which had bandhgala collars and were buttoned down till the top of the bust line. They were teamed with ornately embroidered lehengas and made for an avant-garde fashion statement.
RENAISSANCE GOWNS:
The Renaissance period began in Italy in the Fourteenth Century and saw the birth of voluminous layered gowns and elaborate head-pieces. Shantanu and Nikhil have taken inspiration from this era and have reinterpreted the luxurious silhouettes into opulent bridal ensembles.
GOTH:
While one doesn’t associate the Gothic look with a traditional wedding, Shantanu and Nikhil seem to have effortlessly fused the two concepts to make for this stunning black and gold gown.
SAREE DRAPES:
Keeping their sarees simple and neat and devoid of any surface ornamentation, Shantanu and Nikhil styled them in a quirky fashion by having them worn over tights (the red saree) or like the gold jersey lame sari which was worn with a contrasting white net choli.
Pix: Viral Bhayani for MissMalini