Swastika Mukherjee. Picture by Pabitra Das

The event:

Yet another Bridal Asia show in the swanky JW Marriott venue, Mumbai, between October 15 and 17. All designers worth their tucks ?? frills from round the country to participate.

Sneak peek:

Provided by designer Abhishek Dutta at his studio as he dressed up actress Swastika Mukherjee in one of the creations from his Dark Age of Fashion collection to be showcased at the gala.

Mood of the moment:

Rather dull, with colours like navy blue, black, dark rust, dark green and sap green used to vampish effect instead of the happy colours usually part of a more traditional trousseau.

Dream theme:

Cross-cultural combine achieved with Oriental and Arabic influences. The idea is culled from ?inter-caste and inter-religion marriages prevalent today?. The fusion is meant to draw the new-age bride out to break all barriers.

Gear garnish:

Provided by antique crochet, patchwork and ruffled antique tissue on lehngas that hug the hips and flare at the hem line. The departure from the conventional bias-cut lehnga with more body required a corset-style choli to team it with.

Lest the bride shies away from too much skin show on D-day, the corset has a more closed neckline than the original garment and comes fitted with demure bell sleeves. The daring is limited to metal chains and leather embellishment in a layered look.

If one cannot do without a dash of red, all one needs to do is take off one of the linings in the flexi-fix ensemble and stitch on something more colourful.

(Top left to right) Rita Bhimani, Alokananda Roy, Moon Moon Sen and Neelanjana Chakraborty at an adda; Piu Sarkar in a Capra Pashmina. Pictures by Aranya Sen and Rashbehari Das

Sex and sari

Sari and its many facets unravelled a rather interesting t?te-?-t?te at a style stop. What was conceived as an adda session with city celebs to mark the launch of D?Studio?s autumn-winter collection started off with the participants waxing eloquent on current fashion trends. And soon there was no mistaking the people?s fascination for the five yard classic Indian garment.

The sensuousness of the drape sparked naughty thoughts as well. Public relations consultant Rita Bhimani stirred things up by wondering why sari and sex seem to go hand in hand.

?Like sex, saris can never go out of fashion,? was how Moon Moon Sen saw it, while jewellery designer Neelanjana Chakraborty turned the pages of the past, right back to Draupadi?s depiction in the Mahabharata, to reveal the link between eroticism and the garment.

The conversation drifted on to question why women who travel abroad prefer to dress themselves in western wear rather than the Indian sari. Moon Moon believes in showing off the sari even when in the land of firangs. ?It was such a pleasing sight to see Aishwarya romping around the streets of LA looking beautiful in a choli and sari (in Bride & Prejudice)... I wish more women would follow suit,? agreed Rita, though admitting that she prefers to wear trousers while on vacation.

Dancer Alokananda Roy, painter Wasim Kapoor, models Ria and Devdutta and D?Studio owner Jyoti Khaitan were among those who listened in on the sari talk.

Shawl shine

Pashmina may be among the priceless heirlooms in your almirah, but it?s time to give it a facelift, or so believes Capra. The label launched by three Calcutta women ? Aditi Kohli, Amrita Sahney and Nisha Kanoi ? is lending sequin shimmer to offset Pashmina?s old-world charm.

If you thought the fabric draped best around ageing shoulders, you ought to check out Capra?s collection of finely-embroidered Pashmina ponchos, scarves, stoles, tops, jackets and even skirts and trousers for women to heat up the winter wardrobe. ?We wanted to break the myth that Pashmina is primarily meant for the elderly and have tried to make it more trendy,? said Amrita.

The brand will be formally launched with a one-day exhibition at Grain of Salt on October 14. Jewellery, bags, shoes and even saris will be on display to complete the picture. Intricately designed bags by Camelia Dalal and Shelina Kukar and a collection of Temple jewellery by Sheela and Anupama Reddy are just some of the things up for grabs.