Fashion rewind

Arjun Khanna,who also looked to the same era for fashion inspiration adds,“Apart from the extreme masculine appeal,the age has a certain romantic aura. It’s a great look for men who want to appear slightly mysterious.” Khanna’s collection saw plenty of frock-coats and breeches worn with suspenders,as well as bow-ties and pocket-watches.

For Anjalee and Arjun Kapoor,it was the highly feminine style of the Victorian era which inspired their Bridal collection,shown at the Aamby Valley India Bridal Week. “Victorian fashion laid great emphasis on creating and emphasing femininity. They used corsetted and bustled gowns to create hourglass figures,and also used lots of drapes for a softer look. Globally,the androgynous look has gone out and feminine silhouttes are in. Indian women,blessed with naturally curvy figures,look fabulous in clothes that emphasise their shape,” says Anjalee.

Naturally,there’s a heavy blend of Indian,as well as Victorian fashion in these collections,resulting in a very opulent look — definitely not meant for everyday wear. While Bahl and Johar’s collection saw plenty of embroidered coats worn along with top hats,Khanna’s collection went further in its Indianisation,where leather trimmings and pocket watches were sewn onto long achkans and worn with salwars. The Kapoors too,went with heavy embellishments on their Victorian-inspired creations,with swarowski and stone work finding place next to lace. Anjalee admits,“It’s mostly people looking for bridal and festive wear who can try these styles.”

It’s not easy to wear these trends inspired by another era,without looking like one is heading to a fancy dress party. Khanna admits,“After my show,I did get lots of queries about the clothes,but Indians are not traditionally very experimental when it comes to fashion. Even though Victorian fashion is not the riskiest of retro looks,it can go wrong if it is not done well. It is best to start out by going to a professional stylist or designer,than by experimenting yourself.” Bahl suggests not going all the way and sticking to one key element. “It could be the necktie or the coat — pair these with more contemporary styles like slim trousers and shirts,” he says. The collar,Bahl emphasises,is key. “There’s a lot going on in the area of the neck,with ruffles and cravats,so the rest of the ensemble should be relatively clean.” For the women,Anjalee suggests going for skirts with generous volumes and cinched waist. “You can wear it with a feminine ruffled blouse. Other interesting details are use of plenty of lace and pearls.”