Vanity Fare

Gaurav Gupta sat out last season’s ready-to-wear shows to focus on his couture. This autumn-winter,the young and kinky Mr Gupta returns to what he does best: giving women all but a whip. Its also opportune that Rooney Mara’s Lisbeth Salander is the toast of fashion,and even though India may not have yet enjoyed David Fincher’s The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,Gupta ensures we know what she’s like. Pointed shoulders,slashed dresses,zippers and lace-up boots,bronze minis and sheers mixed with sculpted covers — Gupta’s ode to the bionic woman,he says,seems born in a laboratory. For the gentler power puff girls,belted gowns in orange and ochre colours,with blue birds in flight for prints. A beautiful presentation,also styled wonderfully,Gupta pulled three aces with this. Especially wicked is his jacket-gown,a single shoulder biker jacket that transmorphs into a sweeping gown. A collection that stimulates the intellect as well as tugs at the heart. Now,let’s bring out the knives.

Namrata Zakaria

Turkish Aubergine: Tahiliani’s Recipe

An off-site outdoors show at Blue Frog,Kila,in Mehrauli on a chilly February evening didn’t make tarun tahiliani’s serving go cold. Modern twist on the Ottomans — 52 pieces — showed damsels,not at all in distress,streaming out of Tahiliani’s empire,ostensibly in Turkish hauteur. Ottoman they may be in inspiration,but they were Tahiliani by nature; they came from his style harem. There was everything TT is known for: shirts,mystique-provoking gowns,pencil-bottomed dresses,kaftans,tunics,palazzo pants,body suits,saris,sculpted cholis and more — in colours of aubergine,pomegranate,artichoke,with motifs of dog roses,hyacinths and carnations. Vintage velvet and old zari,gold and silver,lace and jersey,asymmetry and structure,geometry and history. Museum pieces from an Islamic empire? Nope. Sophisticated women at Tahiliani farms. What do you take back? A prêt-couture meal: hearty,filling and flavoursome. You have eaten it before,yet it awakens your senses again.A bit too much though in number and variety.

Shefalee Vasudev

Barve’s Bohemia

Since his debut show in the Capital last season,Nachiket Barve has formed a bond with New Delhi that will last a long time. The Mumbai-based boy,also a favourite of Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan,Barve has given rise to much curiosity outside his home city. If Mumbai introduced him,Delhi is where he’s playing grown-up. Barve’s Autumn-Winter 2012 sees him experiment with a brand new aesthetic,slightly less neat and clean,with great swathes of Bohemia. Forgive us for doffing our hat,but young Barve masterfully marked a departure from his safety net,but not too far. The idea was called “Caravan” and the floating gypsy was his muse. The first item was a beautiful Turkish tile coat,followed by sophisticated cuts in shibori tie-and-dye. There were enough fabric appliques,lattice cutwork that he’s loved for,but also some elegant saris with blouses in delicious salli embroidery. The colours were stolen from a flaming sun and dusty deserts. For Barve,commerce is God and wearability is gospel.

Namrata Zakaria