Gentlemen’s Game

Result: each time they say something,it’s always a mellifluous ballad.

Their latest offering,an untitled autumn-winter 2012 line,is an ode to the villages of Kutch. While the Gujarati district has played muse to several creative minds before,rarely has the tribe been presented in such a slick aesthetic.

A largely black and charcoal line,the rural kediya blouse (the flare choli,if you please) gets an urban twist when teamed with a sari or a pencil skirt. My favourite was the bandhini kediya with a slim skirt,where the bandhini spots appeared to be French polka dots. The bundis — long tops without buttons — were married with sleek trousers,giving the tunic a city edge. The saris had light and gentle embroidery motifs — cycles and birds. The mirrorwork — the famous abla — was modernised as giant sequins. They also showed up on the wedges of heels; when was the last time you saw India-inspired footwear that wasn’t kitsch? Floor-length dresses had tie-up choli backs: is this the real Indian red-carpet wear?

Abraham and Thakore are quiet,discreet and subtle,just as the clothes they make. And sometimes a whisper is clearer than a shout.