Tales from Awadh

Designers Meera and Muzzafar Ali are master storytellers and their latest bridal collection titled “Pearl of the Orient” was no different. On the second day of the India Bridal Fashion Week,the couple,seemed to narrate the story of a bride who finds a quiet corner in a garden,moments before the wedding rituals commence. Their love affair with Awadh in all its glory is not new and this time too they brought the smells,sounds and colours of the region onto the ramp. Models sashayed down the runway in lehengas,shararas and saris with long jackets in resplendent colours — from off whites and peaches to baby pink and watermelon reds and black and a dull mustard,with lots of dull gold. Maang tikkas,drop earrings and heavy neck pieces added to the look. Meera and Muzzafar Ali kept it simple in menswear with models sporting bandhgalas with fitted pants. The designers’ strength is in understated elegance and they exhibited that with zardozi and chikankari work over fabrics such as chiffon and velvet. Our favourite was a gold and red lehenga that reminded us of vintage saris worn by grandmothers,carefully restored in trunks for the current generation. Dull gold work on the skirt and risque neckline of the golden blouse offered a mix of the old and the new. While the range exuded oomph,there was a sense of deja vu too. A beautiful collection,but nothing we haven’t seen before.