Day 5 of FDCI's India Couture Week: Reynu Taandon, Varun Bahl & Falguni Shane Peacock
Veteran designers Reynu Taandon, Varun Bahl & Falguni Shane Peacock unveiled new collections at FDCI ICW 2021 that have imprinted the regality of couture. Here is what day 5 of India Couture Week looked like!
Image Courtesy: Reynu Taandon(L), Varun Bahl(Centre), Falguni Shane Peacock(R)
The 14th edition of the FDCI India Couture Week is back and it is yet again in the form of a Digital Fashion Show. The digitisation of couture week has been a revolutionary move and as we get excited to watch each of these shows on our screens from the comfort of our homes - FDCI actually ensures that each one of us enjoys front-row seats without any cap, where 19 of the country's best couturiers have come together to showcase and carve the world of traditional wear and couture, with the latest luxury collection of bridalwear, pret and more.
The 5th day of this digital version of FDCI ICW 2021's schedule has shows lined up by ace designers starting with Reynu Taandon, followed by Varun Bahl and finally the Falguni Shane Peacock showcase. Each of these designers has made strong fashion statements that are rooted in their very own beliefs and ideals. While Reynu Taandon has taken inspiration from nature and experimented with colours which were unlike her signature style, Varun Bahl has brought out the best of his archives by taking a deep dive into his memory lane and while embracing and celebrating the undefeatable principles of sustainability. Celebrating love in its essence, Falguni Shane Peacock has picked the Taj Mahal not only as their inspiration but also as their backdrop for the magnificent film.
Read on to know the details of each of these magical showcases.
In this article:
1. "Zuri - Beauty Lies Within" by Reynu Taandon
2. Varun Bahl's showcase - Memory Mosaic
3. Falguni Shane Peacock unveils "Love Is"
"Zuri - Beauty Lies Within" by Reynu Taandon
Image Courtesy: Reynu Taandon
Watching veteran designer Reynu Taandon weave magic as she revealed her autumn-winter collection "Zuri - beauty lies within" was a surreal experience altogether. To begin with, the fresh burst of colours along with the beautiful floral setup that we witnessed in the fashion film looked nothing short of magical. The enchanting silhouettes with the modern twists were a sight for the sore eyes. Reynu Taandon says, "My AW Collection ZURI brings together beautiful pastel colours and embroiders with a plush and fresh vibe. The silhouettes are crafted keeping all generations in mind, making the collection versatile yet trendy."
Image Courtesy: Reynu Taandon
Image Courtesy: Reynu Taandon
Image Courtesy: Reynu Taandon
Image Courtesy: Reynu Taandon
Image Courtesy: Reynu Taandon
Image Courtesy: Reynu Taandon
Celebrating her concept of Whimsical Surrealism, each design was not only unique but also charming. From fancy blouse designs paired with magnificent pastel lehengas to the glitz and glam that each of these lehengas exemplified - the showcase was gorgeous. In bright pastel colours like mint greens, blues, whites, nudes and baby pinks - the intricate embroidery showcased in each of the pieces are a display of the designer's excellence. The collection has been divided into three parts which will showcase greens, pinks and nudes.
Image Courtesy: Reynu Taandon
Image Courtesy: Reynu Taandon
Image Courtesy: Reynu Taandon
Image Courtesy: Reynu Taandon
Reynu Taandon says, “FDCI India Couture Week is here, I am super ecstatic to launch my AW Collection ZURI bringing beautiful together pastel colours and embroideries with a plush and fresh vibe. The silhouette is crafted keeping in mind all generations making the collection versatile yet trendy. The nude ones are my favourite since they can be worn at any function. I want my brides to look elegant maintain the old world wedding charm in a contemporary way.”
The colours and the patterns that Reynu Taandon has used to design her collection are an abundance of creativity. The unique benevolence and beauty from natural bliss give our garments feminine personality, colour, and variety. Nature is indeed a primary source of inspiration for couture and Renu Taandon. Despite being a conventional couturier for whom couture lived within herself with the touch and experience, Reynu Taandon has gone out of her traditionalist approach and re-imagine her sources of inspiration for her 2021 autumn-winter designs. For Taandon, ZURI was an exciting unusual experience and felt transcendent to be a part of an ecosystem that is continually innovating and connecting with larger audiences.
Image Courtesy: Reynu Taandon
From heavily Swarovski embellished lehengas to rich classic pieces, tone-on-tone mirror-work lehengas, Anarkalis, traditional sarees, Sharara and Gharara - each of her designs will make a statement. For Reynu Taandon, this season was all about taking a leap into clashing kaleidoscopes of colour.
Image Courtesy: Reynu Taandon
Image Courtesy: Reynu Taandon
Image Courtesy: Reynu Taandon
Her fashion film opened with some light and breezy outfits for the young girls in shades of beautiful pastels with a lot of flowers, rose petals and leaves to create a dreamy look. The silhouettes played around with sun rays in the showcase and kept the look very close to her inspiration - nature. This then moves to the intricate embroideries with pearls and Swarovski’s in greens and multi-colours: shades increasingly preferred by the brides and families today for Mehendi, Cocktails, and pre-wedding functions. The last bit of her collection showcases a range of classic coloured designs like caramels, beiges, and neutrals.
Also Read: Manish Malhotra Unveils 'Nooraniyat' at FDCI India Couture Week 2021
Varun Bahl's showcase - Memory Mosaic
Image Courtesy: Varun Bahl
The ace couturier Varun Bahl says, "My couture collection this year is all about redefining couture by upcycling embroideries and presenting it in an easy yet dramatic manner." Rightly named as the Memory Mosaic, Varun Bahl's Fall 2021 haute couture presentation is a mesmerising burst of colours seen through a lot of patchworks and gorgeous embroidery. The fashion film that he created had a fun, lively, and quite casual set-up that can light up a room as soon as it plays. Maintaining the essence of couture that comes with a very traditionalist approach, Varun Bahl has styled his models in denim and sneakers paired with exquisite pieces that have been designed by himself. Did this quirky touch steal your hearts because it did ours!
Image Courtesy: Varun Bahl
Image Courtesy: Varun Bahl
Bahl says, "I began ruminating on the dream that haute couture creates for the wearer as the starting point. Great designers from all over the world use the most exquisite embroideries, done by the hands of India’s master artisans. But at home, we have somehow equated embellishments with bridal wear for decades now. This deep-seated connection made me want to redefine how haute couture is worn, and what it means to today’s informed and style-conscious consumer."
Image Courtesy: Varun Bahl
Image Courtesy: Varun Bahl
He continues to add, "Not many people know this, but my love of embroideries goes further back than my first brush with fashion. While the official date of the launch of my label is 2004, I began making embroideries as a business around the turn of the millennium. For over two decades, I’ve created an archive of some of the most lovely and breathtaking work in hand-embellishments, supported by master craftspeople around the country as well as our in-house artisans. And this collection is a showcase of that legacy, that memory."
Image Courtesy: Varun Bahl
Image Courtesy: Varun Bahl
So along with making a new kind of haute couture, Varun Bahl has also highlighted what has so far remained in his archives. By creating artistic mosaics of embellished pieces, the veteran designer has experimented with the idea of upcycling and a much-needed experiment in a world where we are still striving to find sustainability in fashion. Each segment carries its history, its own poetry and a sense of painstaking extravagance that adds to the whole essence of his collection - giving it more character and dramatising the silhouettes.
Image Courtesy: Varun Bahl
Image Courtesy: Varun Bahl
Varun Bahl goes on to say, "Through Memory / Mosaic, I’ve tried to pull together a few themes that have grown stronger in my mind over the past year. Apart from embellishments, I’ve also thought deeply about silhouettes and the idea of drama as defined by the demands of haute couture. Here, I’ve tried to simplify my designs and cuts to reduce the ritual of wearing haute couture and infuse them with a certain refreshing lightness so that you’re encouraged to wear them more often, and in different ways."
Image Courtesy: Varun Bahl
Varun Bahl's signature floral-inspired prints have been beautifully embedded into the collection too. On those lines, the designer says, "It’s slightly bohemian, with a hint of glamour, and like a finely executed mosaic, it has brought together my thoughts on what haute couture can be. You’ll find draped skirts and dresses paired with bralettes, jackets with power shoulder, lehengas, peplum tops with skirts, slip dresses paired with long jackets, capes with trousers, as well as elegant sarees, all realised in fabrics like organza, silk, satin, tulle, velvet, and even denim. My colour palette plays with ivory, black, red, sage green, and blushing pinks—light, contrasting, and refreshing, ideal for the upcoming festivities no matter where you are in the world."
Image Courtesy: Varun Bahl
Image Courtesy: Varun Bahl
The collection was e breathtaking showcase of playful moments and a personal ode to the designer's archives. The designs that included Schiffli mirrorwork, sequins, Indo-western silhouettes, Kantha embroideries and so on definitely makes us crave for more even when the show ends!
Falguni Shane Peacock unveils "Love Is"
Image Courtesy: Falguni Shane Peacock
Falguni Shane Peacock's FDCI India couture week is inspired by love and the symbol of love. From mesmerising pastels to vibrant reds - the film was nothing short of exemplary. The moment of realisation on seeing the entrance arch to Taj Mahal was of absolute grandiose for all who have visited or is familiar with the majestic structure of love. And the backdrop for Falguni Shane Peacock's collection - "Love Is" could not have been better than the symbol of love, the Taj Mahal, itself.
In fact, the white lehenga that opens the show with a brilliant head peace is the epitome of surrealism. Each design was portrayed in enchanting frames that made the silhouettes even more gorgeous.
Image Courtesy: Falguni Shane Peacock
Image Courtesy: Falguni Shane Peacock
The collection itself is inspired by the monument of love, the Taj Mahal, and it seeks to translate the visionary saga of love by borrowing from the elegance and magnificence of the Taj. From transcribing the innumerable motifs of the architectural gem on ensembles to varnishing them with refined adornments of Swarovski crystals, pearls, mirrors, sequins and beads. The collection is a medley of colours that scale from mellow muted tones such as baked beige and pearl ivory to pastels like rose pink and mint green, even extending to deeper tones like emerald green, royal purple, turquoise and valiant poppy. A splash of metallic hues viz. silvers and gold elevate the grandeur while adding a dash of glamour.
Image Courtesy: Falguni Shane Peacock
Image Courtesy: Falguni Shane Peacock
The intricate crafting techniques replicated the structural marvel on the fabric via architectural motifs of domes and minarets, the filigree of foliage, and motifs of the century’s fauna and birds. The line is innovational in terms of method but strongly rooted in terms of approach, a signature aesthetic of the label. The cuts are traditional yet au courant, think trailed lehengas, fitted-and-flared silhouettes, and ball gown-style lehengas that make for a befitting wedding day bridal trousseau.
Image Courtesy: Falguni Shane Peacock
The collection has been crafted completely by hand to showcase the distinct handwriting and talents of a cluster of about 250 craftsmen from the FSP-adopted villages of Malihati, Islampur, Midnapore, Kharagpur and Marhtala in West Bengal with the couture signatures of Falguni Shane Peacock. The intricate detailing juxtaposed against the backdrop of the Taj Mahal presents a mesmerising tableau of Indian craft traditions and couture expertise to the world at a time when the spotlight on travel and conscious support towards artisans is shining brighter than ever before. Heritage jewellery brand ‘Narayan Jewellers’ by Ketan and Jatin Chokshi, is the official jewellery partner for their show.
Image Courtesy: Falguni Shane Peacock
Falguni Shane Peacock, as a brand, has constantly pushed its boundaries to create luxury looks season after season and evolved with every season. The designer duo has taken their zeal to experiment with traditional embroidery patterns and silhouettes along with the conventional hues to a whole new level with their collection "Love Is" leaving the viewers awestruck at the grandiose.
Their remarkable reputation for translating its DNA and philosophies into every finely crafted ensemble by amalgamating imagination with reality, traditional with contemporary, and infusing true elements of ‘luxury’ to it. The designers are positioned famously for their classic design sensibilities and timeless qualities that make them a favourite amongst celebrities.
Which designer's work are you dreaming to flaunt on your big day? Let us know in the comments below.
