Birds of Paradise: Rohit Bal’s ‘Husn-e-Taa’iraat’ was an ode to nature

Going beyond conventional bridalwear, ‘Husn-e-Taa’iraat’ was detailed with Persian embroidery that included multi-coloured flowers, long-tailed birds, fruits, elephants and camels. The motifs were an amalgamation of digital printing and hand embroidery. Visible inner linings of open jackets in darker shades gave dimension to the garments and highlighted the cuts and detailing more prominently. Roses, a recurring leitmotif in Bal’s work, made an appearance, too, embroidered on to clothes as well as adapted into accessories. They were used extensively as headgear and around collars and cuffs in shades of red, white and black.

For men, Bal had bandhgalas and jackets in shades of ivory, indigo and black, paired with churidars, jodhpurs, finished with intricate embroideries and wildlife motif jootis and shimmering black shoes.

Designers spotted in the front row included JJ Valaya, Narendra Kumar, Ritu Kumar and Sabyasachi Mukherjee, who, surprisingly, chose to observe proceedings from a vantage point in a corner.