Couture Festive Fashion Guide
As 2023 breezes by, the time to don your traditional finery and celebrate with friends and family is just around the corner. So, while you seek out brands and labels that match your sense of aesthetics and style (and are also kind to the planet), find out what some of India’s finest couturists are showcasing in terms of silhouettes, colours, and accessories:
Ivory Rules
If there’s one colour that dominated the collections of many a designer at the recently concluded FDCI Hyundai India Couture Week 2023, it was white and its many hues. Designer Anamika Khanna showcased elegant pantsuits and caped dhoti sets in white satin, and the label ‘Rose Room’ by Isha J exuded romance with its delicate lace and organza mix in the form of translucent ivory gowns and lehengas. You can also browse through Anjul Bhandari’s latest collection online if you desire a gold and white combo or Rohit Bal who offers his signature, opulent anarkalis in pristine white at his online store. Plus, Sabyasachi is all set to drop his next sari collection in a contrasting monochrome palette.
Join The Colour Carnival
Then, at the other end of the fashion spectrum is colour. Labels Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla and Mayyur Girotra seem to be inspired by the rainbow and their recent multi-coloured saris and gharara and lehenga sets are for those who are bohemian at heart. The complementary colour schemes will ensure you stand out of the crowd effortlessly yet elegantly. Check out Rahul Mishra’s Cosmos–Indian Festive Edit 2023 for both men and women online for beautifully embroidered and sequinned flora- and fauna-inspired creations. Keep your accessories and make-up minimal while wearing such vibrant silhouettes so that your outfit remains the focal point of your look.
Gota Is The Way to Go
The centuries-old art of gota is in vogue again with designers such as Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla opting for this handcraft to embellish their luxurious saris and kurta sets. Tarun Tahiliani too has been using gota appliqué to add a unique dimension to his Indian and fusion wear. Case in point is the gold cape with graded pixel embroidery in gota technique, worn by actor Sobhita Dhulipala over a black draped dress for Made in Heaven Season 2. Even fellow actor Reena Wadhwa wore a Tarun Tahiliani old rose toned sari with intricate gota embroidery in the same series.
Belt It Up
Add a belt to your drape—not only to provide better definition but also to secure it in place for longer. Whether worn with saris or even with a lehenga set, donning a belt is the easiest way to lend your traditional outfit an element of modernity. Both designers JJ Valaya (in his ‘Baroda’ Fall Winter 2023 Couture Collection) and Tarun Tahiliani have used belts to accent their Indian wear for women. But then, be mindful and use only sleek, thin iterations. Wide belts are passé.
Sparkle In Metallics
Steal the spotlight like actor Janhvi Kapoor who wore an electric blue lehenga set as the showstopper for Gaurav Gupta’s ‘Hiranyagarbha’ show at the FDCI Hyundai India Couture Week 2023. Metallics prominently featured in the collections of other designers like Rimzim Dadu, known for her eclectic, structured silhouettes like sari suits and drape sets in stunning gold and silver. Even Falguni Shane Peacock’s ‘Renaissance Reverie’ showcased lehengas sets in pewter and silver, perfect for a bride-to-be.
Highlight Your Hairdo
Styling your hair with flowers and floral accessories like hairbands or traditional gajra strings continues to trend. Do not worry about matching the colour of the blooms with your apparel as contrasting ones are equally trendy. Opt for flowers such as carnations, lilies, jasmine, and roses that elevate your hairstyle in a jiffy while leave your tresses fragrant. Statement maang teekas or even your favourite necklace worn as a hair accessory is recommended.
Florals for Men
When it comes to men’s fashion, floral embroidery, motifs, and prints are what you need to look stylishly on point this season. If making a bold, contemporary statement is what you desire, then the eye-catching jacket and sherwani sets from Varun Bahl’s new couture collection, complete with floral appliqué work and prints, is for you. For those who are not afraid to indulge in colours, Mayyur Girotra’s newly launched collection ‘Madhaniyan’ is perfect with matching printed kurtas and trench coat sets. You can also scroll through some of his bandhi jacket and kurta sets in exquisite patola online. But if classic monochromes are what you prefer, then JJ Valaya’s Fall-Winter 2023 Couture Collection Baroda, offers jacket-kurta and sherwanis sets in black and white. Well-fitted bundi jackets and kurtas in an array of colours by Rohit Bal with embroidered blossoms or monotonal kurtas with floral buttis by Raghavendra Rathore are also apt for keeping things subtle and suave.
