Sometimes, too much beauty gives you goosebumps. And that often happens with a Sabyasachi show. With him, it’s never just about the clothes, the clothes just blend in with the scheme of things… it’s the sheer beauty of the whole production that pulls you in and kind of leaves you wide-eyed and speechless. For instance, when Sabya’s theme is ‘Illuminate’, he illuminates the sprawling Mehboob Studio in Mumbai will vintage chandeliers; he illuminates with music — played live by the Symphony Orchestra of India. And to top it all, his showstopper is “the darling of the nation” Kareena Kapoor Khan, flaunting her baby bump on the ramp. Now that’s the kind of beauty that gives you goosebumps.
The orchestra opens the show, setting the tune for the beauty to come. The models walk in languidly, unveiling ‘shimmer’, the Sabya way. The look is broken into three different stories. The first story that rolls in is full-on shimmer… a sparkling line of global silhouettes in muted tones with Indian craftsmanship. Shimmering dresses of various lengths, lehngas, gowns — sequinned and intricately embroidered — make for a look that’s super sexy yet signature Sabya. This line is teamed with a fair amount of faux fur — parcel bags, long winter coats, short jackets and trimmings.
“The collection is inspired from the 1920s through the 1970s. It was also inspired by two of my most favourite artists — Frida Kahlo and Amrita Sher-Gil. We did a lot of clothes that were very sexy, very glamourous, yet it was very, very Sabyasachi,” said the designer.
The second look is what Sabya calls the “palate cleanser” — a cleaner look mostly in black and ecru with tone-on-tone embroidery and a hint of zardozi and structured silhouettes. “This line has got architectural influences,” adds Sabya.
The last story or “the India story” is the Firdaus line, with a strong Kashmiri feel. Little velvet dresses, miniskirts, long jackets worn over slip dresses and trousers, floor-length gowns, with antique brocade and antique zardozi on dark tones. There’s what Sabya calls the “Agra saris” with monuments embroidered on them; “colonial bird coats” or short coats with bird motifs; the “India dress” or little velvet dresses with heavy zardozi work. The men’s sherwanis follow the same storylines. Oversized parcel bags and embroidered mojris and wedges, all made in-house by Sabyasachi, accessorise the clothes. Heavy jewellery by Kishandas & Co. has the girls bejewelled.
“It was a very stressful show because it was outdoors and I was just praying it doesn’t rain and it didn’t rain…. Working for Lakme is like a homecoming for me, because it is the brand that discovered me as a designer (Sabya came into the national limelight after his debut at Lakme India Fashion Week in 2002), so it is always special,” said Sabya, post-show.
A collaboration with Sabya is beyond the grand finale… he understands the brand, understands what make-up means to the Indian woman. What you saw today was truly Illuminate and we are very, very proud to have Sabya as the finale designer
— Purnima Lamba, head of innovations, Lakme
Debuting her baby bump on the ramp, mom-to-be Kareena Kapoor Khan was the cherry on the cake at the grand finale of Lakme Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2016 by Sabyasachi. The glow on her face was complemented by the shimmer on her lehnga-ensemble as she wrapped up Sabya’s show to an euphoric reaction from the audience that was made up of a fair amount of Bollywood. Over to Kareena...
On her first ramp walk with the little one...
It is a very, very special moment, because it is for one of my most favourite brands, Lakme, and of course the maestro himself, Sabyasachi. I haven’t had the opportunity of doing a film together, but this moment, thanks to Lakme, has been so special that even the little one will always remember this moment (laughs and hugs her baby bump). This will be engraved in history… I am quite emotional because this is the first time we have taken the ramp together (with her baby)… this is a moment I am always going to cherish.
I am never scared, I am always happy and confident, but yeah this time there was a lot more excitement and nervousness, but yeah it was a lot of fun. People are asking me how I walked but I am like, pregnant women also walk! I don’t know… I can fly as well (laughs)… I think it’s absolutely normal.
While is it very, very special, I think it speaks a lot for Lakme to have me walk the ramp… the spirit of the show, what the brand stands for… a truly independent Indian working woman. And I am seeing the excitement and the euphoria around it, it is amazing.
On Sabyasachi...
It’s an honour to walk for Sabyasachi because I wouldn’t like to say that he is a designer, I would like to call him an artist. He makes paintings and he makes people who wear his outfits look like paintings… like a Renaissance painting. I feel truly honoured to be wearing this outfit right now. My mother-in-law (Sharmila Tagore) is a big admirer of Sabyasachi. I think his craftsmanship is his master stroke.
Text: Smita Roy Chowdhury
Pictures: Pabitra Das
