Ritu Beri couldn’t make it. But her clothes did. And that itself did a lot to raise the temperature of a cold wintry evening by The Park poolside. The parade began close to 1am. The best one-word description for the show: sexy.

The first sequence was lacy and luminous. Cleavage was the highlight of the collection. Followed by crystal. Precariously-held-together gowns appeared one after the other in pastel colours ranging from icy blues to cool champagnes. The dresses mostly had asymmetric hemlines and Venus necklines, many almost dipping to the navel. And the Calcutta crowd quickly took out its cameras…

The next line saw some Calcutta models take the jacuzzi-turned-ramp and the icy blue turned midnight blue and black. Embellishments were replaced by pretty prints. Flying hemlines showed some skin-tone boy shorts and more skin. And more cameras came out (in sweaty palms)!

From romantic, the ramp mood went retro. The international ‘it’ silhouette of the moment, the jumpsuit, appeared in denim and other softer fabrics with Swarovski or patchwork making the statement. The last sequence of the night was just right for Christmas because it was red with a dash of black and white. The style went Victorian and voluminous. Black bodysuits flaunted some big and bold jackets, some short and others long. Multiple layering was the essential feature of this collection.

Pictures by Rashbehari Das