Sense And Sensibility

Blurring the realms of wearability and aesthetic integrity, a discerning fold of designers are casting the spotlight on the importance of prêt in a contemporary fashion landscape

- TANYA MEHTA

In April this year, Sabyasachi Mukherjee celebrated 20 years in fashion with a heady spectacle dubbed ‘Kashgaar Bazaar’, a retrospect of his personal design journey. In an atmosphere akin to a grungy Moroccan souk, he looked back at his graduation collection of the same name – a misty space where nomads, gypsies, prostitutes and artists collide on the silk route. The result was a new age collection laced with old-world charm as models trooped down in mirrorwork mini dresses, rainbow-hued trousers and ankle-skimming kaftans, mimicking tapestries and rugs. Outside, a sprightly flock of celebrities turned up dressed in luxe, millennial-approved creations by the designer, whether it was Janhvi Kapoor in a red dress embellished with zardozi work or Ananya Panday in a black pussy-bow blouse worn over an embroidered skirt with sequins. While the show was a refreshing deviation from Mukherjee’s trademark presentation of regal lehengas and second-skin blouses, it was not without his fixation for craftsmanship. Immersing the time-consuming techniques of phulkari and zardozi while using myriad elements such as burnt-sequins, beads, tinsel and silk-thread, the ornate outfits were further embellished with modern accessories – fanny packs, cross-body bags, studded vizors and cigarette slippers. But then again, Mukherjee has always been a modernist in his outlook. In the past, he’s introduced us to iconic pieces like the awning-striped sari blouse, the waist belt bearing the Bengal Tiger (also his brand’s logo) and the velveteen kurti-dresses.