Living in a country of opulent textile heritage, a celebration of Indian’s Riches is a MUST! Vogue India‘s Project Renaissance has been one such tribute to the Nation’s incredibly rich sartorial heritage. Our team was extremely honored to have received an invite to the Project’s exhibit in Delhi from Bandana Tewari, the energy force behind this beautifully curated project.
The evening was a dedication to the biggest and the most promising international labels and their creative affair with traditional Indian textiles. The garments and accessories were held for display at DLF Emporio, New Delhi, with some of the country’s biggest designers coming in for their support. Tarun Tahiliani, Suneet Verma, Kanika Saluja, Shivan & Narrresh, Malini Ramani are a few to name. Seeing them all under one roof for this mystical marriage of two worlds makes me wonder and raise the question that “Why aren’t our lovely Indian designers instigating something similar?” It is utterly elevating to see luxurious labels celebrate tradition, without being bound by it! Indian weaves are incredibly beautiful, almost sacred, and must be patronized and nurtured continually.
Each outfit on display was developed so aesthetically, one could hardly keep their eyes off. As surprising as it was for me to see these designers create something so marvelous using the goodness of our country’s warp and weft, it was also a very proud moment for me to be a part of this event and witness these unforgettable works of design, elevated to the level of art. It is a rare occasion, when such creative minds come together, something marveling is ought to be born, and damn are we right!
I now feel lucky to have got a first-hand view of each garment, and I couldn’t help but photograph each one of them along with their exquisite details of Lucknowi chikankari, Kashmiri embroidery, Maheswari Silk, Rajasthani and Gujrati Bandhani, and the love affair just goes on…
“I thought about a linear and clean shape, very feminine and luxurious. I decided to let the fabric play the starring role in the creation”
— Anna Molinari, creative director
“In a mixing of styles, I decided to blend [the fabrics] to create a new layered ‘Etro India’ look, uniting our common passion for textiles, colours and little details” — Veronica Etro, creative director of womenswear
“The design and draping process was incredibly romantic and poetic—it stirred up emotions and nostalgia of my time spent [in India]”
— Prabal Gurung
“I was driven by the challenge of taking something so traditional, historic and beautiful to create something that is modern and ‘now’”
— Bibhu Mohapatra
“I reinterpreted this beautiful fabric to realise something different from the traditional sari—I wanted to show [its] versatility, richness and allure” — Alberta Ferretti
“The graphic red is so DKNY—vibrant, energised, colourful. It’s exciting to take something traditional and do something completely unexpected with it” — Donna Karan, chief creative director
“I wanted to take our iconic trench coat and play with its unique identity. Like the trench, the Maheshwari fabric has an incredibly rich history and heritage, which I find truly inspiring” — Christopher Bailey, chief creative officer
“We enjoyed the contrast [in using] something that was made through classical methods and constructing it with modern techniques to give a cutting-edge silhouette true to Peter Pilotto” — Peter Pilotto and Christopher De Vos
“[I chose to] create a modern, sexy and classic strapless gown with no seams—it was mostly all tucked by hand. It signifies the New India to me” — Naeem Khan
“It was an exciting challenge to construct the design, to blend the Cavalli sensuality and style with the elements of a traditional sari”
— Roberto Cavalli
“Working with [the fabric] has been a pleasure. We [searched] our archives for the model that would best suit the peculiarity of the craft and enhance its beauty” — Margherita Missoni, brand ambassador
Aanchal Bhatia is a Co-blogger at HeadTilt. Follow and tweet her @HeadTilt1.