Thaindian News

New Delhi, March 13 (IANS) LED belts with scrolling message buckle saying ‘India Shines’, ‘Hum Kisi Se Kam Nahin’ and ‘Modern India’ caught eyeballs as Tarun Tahiliani showcased his creative brilliance at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW) Thursday. “Forget about the period when we were colonized. Celebrate who we are, as we are,” Tahiliani told IANS after the show.

But that was not all.

With qawwals clapping and dancer Anamika Singh dressed like a courtesan swinging to the tunes of Bollywood songs, models sashayed across the ramp - having imprints of nandi or bull and lotus - flanked by temple tops, the show possessed ample Bollywood flavour for everyone.

The collection also aimed to pay homage to French designer Christian Dior, the Bollywood style.

“Just the way Dior revolutionized the face of fashion in the West, I want to do the same here using ancient Indian traditional draping in more contemporary outfits.

“I want Indian fashion to be more flexible,” Tahiliani said.

Muted charcoal, blacks, burnt burgundy, muted beiges and an occasional jewel splash comprised the colour palette.

Using fabrics like velvet, silk, tweed, embroidered in gold sequins the line offered short biker jackets, with bustle skirts, cropped jackets, saris, draped asymmetrical tops.

For men there were short and longs sherwanis teamed with churidars, angarakha style kurtas and trousers.

In the middle dressed in black anarkali kurti matched with a flared skirt - the “Umrao Jaan” style - Singh danced on the ramp on the song “Kehna hi kya”, composed by A.R. Rahman for the film “Bombay”.

As the show proceeded towards the end, she appeared again on the ramp decked in a magenta and red anarkali kurta and churidar - the Meena Kumari style - leaving the audience mesmerised with her dance act on the qawwali “Hum kisi se kam nahin”.