Final Touch: A peek into the creative chaos at Manish Malhotra’s AICW 2015 finale

Designer Manish Malhotra with showstopper Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. (Express Photo by Oinam Anand)

Pause, play, stop, play again”. These staccato words rang out repeatedly through the main show area during Manish Malhotra’s final rehearsal for his Amazon India Couture Week 2015 finale at The Leela Palace on Sunday night. Custom-curated music and a modern jazz compilation played in the background. Malhotra, dressed in a denim jacket and comfortable track pants, looked relaxed while, armed with a runway blueprint, he oversaw the final line-up with show choreographer Anu Ahuja. The stage was set for ‘The Empress Story’, a show that marked the completion of Malhotra’s 25 years in the industry and gave a preview to his ‘Manish Malhotra London’ label, to be launched in Spring 2016.

The reputed costumier and couturier, who is known to be a perfectionist, belted out strict instructions to the models. “I will take a final look at the make-up, and male models do show me your hair once done,” he said. While Mickey Contractor, Director, Make-up Artistry MAC India, was busy giving final touches to the look of Malhotra’s showstopper, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, his dedicated team of 24 assistants was working on the looks of the 47 models set to walk the ramp. The green room was a picture of relaxed banter, with models gossipping, taking selfies, updating their Instagram accounts and grabbing snacks. It was only when the hour of the show drew near that one could feel the shift in urgency. Malhotra, now dressed in a dark jacket and pants, did a final assessment of make-up and hair.

Before the show starts, a pensive moment for Manish Malhotra. (Express Photo by Oinam Anand)

Around the room, one could glimpse the ensembles from ‘The Empress Story’, in which largely Western silhouettes such as voluminous ball skirts, gowns, cape-like tops and dresses wore three-dimensional embroideries, mushroom flowers and bird motifs.

The colours were Western, too, with metallic hues, burgundy, brown, rose pink and pearl grey making a splash.

Intricate embroideries were the highlight of the capsule menswear collection, which saw structured jackets, trench coats and waistcoats. What really caught our attention were the handcrafted shoes, marking the brand’s first-ever foray into accessories, and the vintage masquerade masks and belts crafted by Nitya Arora of Valliyan.

Malhotra claimed the collection was a tribute to the self-confident and spirited woman, and his muse Rai Bachchan reflected it perfectly on the ramp in a flowing embroidered skirt paired with an elegant top and embellished jacket.