Of regal brides, vintage adah & sheer opulence

The Wedding Times Fashion Fiesta, where couture king Tarun Tahiliani presented his bridal collection, was splendid from the word go. Held at one of the best palace hotels in the world, Taj Falaknuma Palace, it was a stunning display of couture and craftsmanship.
The finery of Tahiliani's drapes that shimmered in a unique mix of zardozi and Swarovski; the vintage chandeliers; the unique set design inspired by Deccani opulence; the dreamy ambience; the fusion music in the background -all these elements took the very idea of a bridal fashion show a few notches higher.As the models walked to the beats of the percussion music wearing bridal outfits in an eclectic range of colours, from reds and oranges to aquamarine and even black, with roses in their hair, the audience couldn't help but watch in absolute awe, shifting their gaze only to whip out their cell phones and click pictures of the stunners on the ramp.
The jewellery , which was designed by the master craftsman, Tahiliani himself, added to the oomph factor.On display were some exquisite chaand baalis, maang tikaas and jhoomars -all so Nizami. But stunning as they were, they never took the attention away from the outfits. There was also an understated yet striking menswear range, that would surely find favour with the classy gentlemen who love minimalistic grandeur. The collection had layered kurtas, light-weight achkans and pre-draped dhotis.
A special word for the spectacular ramp and the sequences choregraphed by Alison, which transported one right back to the Nizami era of harems filled with Deccani beauties oozing adah. But the highlight of the show had to be showstopper Kriti Sanon walking the ramp looking like a vision in a red and gold lehenga. Now that would be any bride-to-be's dream outfit! And why not? After all Tarun Tahiliani leaves no stone unturned in making a woman look drop dead gorgeous.
The show was presented by Bajaj Electronics and powered by Volvo, in association with Stanza, YNew, Centro, and Kamal Watch Co. Taj Falaknuma Palace was the hospitality partner. "It was a pleasure to have Tahiliani launch his creations at the Falaknuma Palace.It is great to see Times of India support such a wonderfully curated events," said Ritesh Sharma, GM.
I actually felt like a bride: Kriti
"I have done a lot of shows, but this was the grandest one. I was really looking forward t to walking the ramp in Falaknuma... When I went on stage and looked around, all I could think of was how stunning everybody looked! I loved that bit where the mod els sat down on stage... It looked like one of those vintage por traits. That's the thing about Tarun -the way he dresses up every woman is unique. Look at my outfit, I like the idea of the lehenga being a little short in the front and a little long at the back. I love my jootis designed by Centro; they look so mod! But if you ask me what's the most unique thing about my look tonight apart from the outfit of course -it has to be this wonder ful maang tika-meets-earring! It was amazing being the showstopper for Tarun... He was hooting before I entered, and then he says, `Don't smile, don't smile' (laughs). When you wear a beautiful garment like this, you start feeling really beautiful. Tonight, I think I fully got the feeling of being a bride."
The Dreamweaver
Tarun kickstarted the show being his affable self: "My apologies for starting late, but you know, it took so much time to get the models ready because they were competing with the amazing folklore of Hyderabad," he said, as the guests broke into a laughter. "We are proud to present our bridal and couture collection, and promise you, it will be a visual treat of sartorial elegance," Tarun added. And the show sure turned out to be worth the wait. P3Ps were awestruck The swish set who were in the audience loved this night of high fashion.
Shalini Bhupal, who came in with daughter-inlaw Dia in tow, said, "It was a beautiful show and I loved it! The Swarovski blouses, the intricacy of the designs which was done keeping in mind the Hyderabadi audience, was gorgeous.The presentation was absolutely picturesque... it felt magical!" Some of the ladies were seen making a beeline near the models at the end for photo-ops.
The sponsors of the show
All praise for this stunning show, which Hyderabadi fashionistas will remember for a long time to come, Venugopal Totla said, "The arrangements were impeccable." Echoing his sentiments, Karan Bajaj said, "As always TOI did a wonderful job."