Fit for the royals

When we entered Shantanu & Nikhil’s flagship store in Jubilee Hills to get a dekko of their latest collection, we expected to see models sauntering and showing off the couturiers’ works.
But we were in for a surprise when we were greeted by mannequins instead! Titled ‘Advent of the Dawn’, the collection saw ‘models’ present it with a unique theme — through ‘The World of Duchess’, this was the special preview of their spring-summer haute couture line.
So what was the inspiration behind this set-up? Shantanu explained, “Our inspiration has always been a strong woman — she is a traveller and has a sense of independence. She loves the concept of Indian culture and modernised clothes. The reason we showcased the collection through the story of duchess is so that our customers feel connected and see the garments up close.” This led to the duo giving mannequins an aura — that she has a story to tell. “She maintains a dignity, style and wants to look her fabulous self. We’ve been showcasing our collection in Hyderabad for three years and we have been accepted. We’re sure this time it will be loved as well,” smiles the celebrated designer. Stunning evening gowns, lehengas and anarkalis with a contemporary twist, bandhgalas oozing style and intricately detailed accessories complete the collection. Nikhil, explaining about the ensembles, added, “We’re known for our gowns, which is why we’ve created our trademark pieces, with a royal touch. We’ve experimented with cuts, layering and even the fabrics — we played with traditional Indian fabrics like raw silk, net, used minimal embroidery on skirts, lehangas and contemporary gowns. We’ve tried experimentation, and given our outfits a contemporary look.”
The powder room Make-up time: The duchess is all set to be the cynosure of all eyes at the party she’s about to attend. The unique mirror on the wall, decked with flowers, showcases the royal lady in an Indo-chic gown, made up of traditional Indian fabrics like raw silk in contemporary cuts and styles like the peplum top and layered skirt.
The ball room Contemporary twist: The designers tried to give the traditional anarkali a contemporary twist — with asymmetrical hemlines and the khadi print, it just makes it ethnic-chic.
The high-tea party Bollywood style: Perfect for a red carpet themed party, this beautiful net gown integrated with silk, was worn by one of the socialites at the duchess’ party. The other gown showcases the digital print and palacetic art, which is taking the fashion world by storm.
The book Duchess’ dawn: Once upon a time, there was a duchess, who was strong, independent with a mind of her own… Shantanu & Nikhil’s collection began with a book, from which characters came alive; which explained life and world of the duchess, their ball room gatherings, high-tea parties and more. The black-golden lehangas and sherwani on display had beautiful zari work, which depicted leaf in clustered form.
For men The store also had a huge range of designer sherwanis for men.
Accessories You can also find accessories at the store like — a range of lacy gloves, box clutches, embroidered sandals and shoes.
Published on 17/4/2015