It’s gold. It’s sequinned. Let’s just call it the Bollywood gown and see who wears it on the red carpet first!

After 10 years of fashion and seven years of fashion week in India, I thought I knew it all. I knew the art of crossing my legs (knees together, ankles hooked). I knew how to fit my butt comfortably in the super-squeezed front row (slightly leaning forward). I knew my nice neighbours (magazine editors are friendly folk, not devils in Prada). I knew what to wear (wrap dress, flattering + fuss-free). I knew the handbag arsenal (back-up battery, 30ml perfume, lipstick, gel liner with smudge brush, mint and Disprin). I even knew the timing (always exactly 20 minutes later than scheduled). But sitting across the Atlantic, staring at my invite to Bibhu Mohapatra’s Spring 2015 Show at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week (MBFW) in Manhattan, New York, I had butterflies in my tummy — the kind that flutter right before your first dinner date.

Bibhu Mohapatra

But first things first: #ootd (outfit of the day). Checking out MBFW street style pictures on www.whowhatwear.com wasn’t helping. At all. DAMN these women who look so good. Crop tops on fab abs, flouncy skirts, jackets hung over their shoulders as if glued on, not moving a centimetre, make-up perfectly done for the day, sleek sandals, hair flying as they are photographed “candidly” crossing the road while an NYC yellow taxi waits at the signal. The “it” bag is somewhere on their body — clutched tightly in the palm or crossed over casually, hanging on the hip. These summer clothes were enjoying their last outing while the sun still shines. Fall will be here soon.

I turned my wardrobe upside down trying to put together #ootd — something that says made-in-India-to-be-worn-anywhere-in-the-world. An Anamika Khanna cape came to the rescue. I wanted to be well dressed for MBFW, doubly so, just in case I met Bibhu. Chances were slim though, since post-show press conferences don’t happen at fashion weeks in NYC. And no one will allow me backstage. Just yet.

Even though Bibhu is my Facebook friend, I doubted very much that he would recognise me. We had spoken on the phone and communicated via email, mostly for quotes and interviews and we had met only for a fleeting moment at Lakme Fashion Week in the summer of 2012 right after his show. I remember him walking down the ramp after the last model exited, teary-eyed, hands folded, humbly taking in the thunderous applause in a packed show area in Mumbai.

Born and brought up in Rourkela, Odisha, Bibhu took a leap of faith when he landed in America in 1995 with a one-way ticket. He did a Masters in economics at Utah State University, after which he switched careers and enrolled at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology. He interned at the iconic label Halston, and went from assistant to design director at J. Mendel in a span of nine years. Bibhu quit to launch his eponymous label in 2009 and quickly became a CFDA member (Council of Fashion Designers of America). Oh, and two years ago, Michelle Obama made him a household name when she chose to wear one of his dresses on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Over the last five years there has been a steady stream of celebrity sightings in Bibhu Mohapatra. The label is a red carpet fave of stars like Gwyneth Paltrow, Lupita Nyong’, Jennifer Lopez and Kareena Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Sonam Kapoor.

From Laotian jacquard to crystal-embroidered poppies, Bibhu’s spring collection had some very strong elements and as a result, high recall value

Bibhu’s PR person, Jameela Lake, assured me his latest collection would leave me “speechless”. I didn’t doubt it one bit. All the butterflies in the tummy calmed down as soon as I entered Lincoln Center Pavilion. Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week was written in a big bold black font outside the tent on 65th and Broadway. Inside, the rows quickly filled up. The photographers pit reminded me of LFW and instinctively, I looked out for my partner in fashion week, Pabitra Das, but alas! That’s the thing about fashion. Geographical boundaries mean little. The lights dimmed, the music soared. And just like that, I could be anywhere. Even back home, back in familiar territory. The vibe of the show reminded me of Bibhu’s LFW stint. Two years later, when he walked down the ramp, this time in a different continent that is now his home, it was deja vu. His work uniform — jeans, jacket, tee — and smile intact. The designer had just sent out his Spring 2015 collection to a packed house. Fern Mallis (creator of fashion week in New York) clapped loudly.

His newest collection has been declared a hit already. Critics have loved it, the blogs have gone gaga. Stars and their stylists the world over must have sent in their lust lists. This season, his inspiration was British writer and activist Nancy Cunard. The collection “acknowledges the courage and strength of the women who break the rules, follow their hearts and make their own destiny”.

The line-up began with monochromatic geometrical prints and moved on to beaded and pleated couture gowns, balancing playful and pretty all the way. Dresses, shirt-vests, asymmetrical tops, pencil skirts, capes, cropped blouses and lots of pants (cigarette and wide-legged)…. Summer means pastels so there were lots of lavender, blush pink and ivory. Jacquard, organza, silk, crepe, weaves, feathers and fur came together to tell a modern romantic story. A poppy print provided the pop. Sometimes the flowers were textured with crystal embroidery. In seemingly simple silhouettes, there was a fabric insert here, a drape there. Panels of organza jutted out in places, flying past, causing a swoosh of fabric when the models walked. Hardly anything was two-dimensional. Bibhu is, in fact, known best for his architectural approach to fashion. Some garments had dramatic back detailing — big bows flouncing underneath the nape of the neck and peekaboo cut-outs.

The last segment was dedicated to gowns. That’s what the designer is best known for. This is his strength. (He won the award for Best Evening Wear back in college). A halter-neck ankle-skimming dress in silk welcomed the parade of evening dresses — an off-shoulder column gown, a ball dress with back bustle, hand-pleated chiffon and silk dresses… and then there was a gold-and-blush sequinned column gown. Let’s just call it the Bollywood gown. And let’s see which Bollywood star gets the dibs on it.