Mughal floral designs inspire Anupamaa

Anupamaa Dayal’s collection truly lived up to the essence of its title ‘Shalimaar’, as the designer showcased her signature floral designs with a lot of colour at the ongoing fashion extravaganza in the capital. In abundance on the runway were deep purples, pinks, oranges, yellows and reds all through the show.
“Shalimaar means different things to different people.‘Shalimaar’, to me, is synonymous with the beautiful gardens of Kashmir. You know the Mughals were passionate about flowers and this collection is inspired by the Mughal love for flowers. So there are all elegant designs with a lot of colours put together in a very graphical manner,” said Anupamaa, draped in a red saree worn over a T-shirt and shorts, while talking about her creation after the show.
An assortment of distinguished prints was a highlight of this collection. ‘Jharokha’ print, ‘Shahjahan’ jaal and ‘Mumtaz’ jaal made for the most exquisite aspects of the range. From strappy dresses to dazzling silk sarees to kaftans to tunics, Anupamaa impressed with almost all the pieces she showcased. Her fabrics mainly comprised pashminas, sheep wool blends, silks and stretch cottons.
And not to be missed on the ramp were the bright and summery ‘Mughal jootis’ that lend exclusiveness to Anupamaa’s collection. When asked about the reason behind her fondness for flat footwears, the designer said, “For me, it’s always been about creations that a woman can wear from day to night. I want an Anupamaa woman to be stylish and feel comfortable at the same time. And I don’t think that’s possible with heels for more than 4-5 hours.”
We couldn’t have agreed more.
‘Virtues’ by Ashish, Viral and Vikrant: It was all about dark tones and gothic vibes for Ashish, Viral and Vikrant, as they showcased their collection ‘The Birth of Evil’ on Day 4 of WIFW autumn/winter 2011. The line-up was full of flowing cuts, fitted silhouettes, volumes, lengths, sharp angles and layers.
“The outfits have been inspired by gothic architecture, and we’ve used a lot of Rajasthani prints along with different dimensions and angles in the garments,” summed-up the designers after the show. The fabrics comprised silks, chiffons, georgettes and chanderis with vintage embroideries. The colour palette consisted of black, purple, scarlet, fuchsia, wine and burgundy – for the dark clothing.