Cheers to Couture

8220;The market for couture is huge; this was long overdue,8221; says Sunil Sethi, president, Fashion Design Council of India FDCI, who has been toying with the idea for long and has finally etched out a schedule. And names that tickle the aesthete8217;s senses 8212; Anamika Khanna, Ashish Soni, JJ Valaya, Manav Gangwani, Manish Malhotra, Pallavi Jaikishan, Ritu Kumar, Rohit Bal, Suneet Varma, Tarun Tahiliani and Varun Bahl 8212; will come together.

Some may have doubted if couture would survive its founder, Charles Worth, but Tahiliani says there is a reason it thrived in India: its fabled luxury belongs more to the world of couture than it ever did to pret. 8220;Detailed designs with semi-precious metals woven into clothes are what we adore. It is therefore befitting that we have a Couture Week to service bridal wear and elevate it with contemporary finishes,8221; he says.

The hopelessly old-fashioned styles and the price tags, starting at five figures, however, ensured that couture clients weren8217;t many. 8220;But in a country appropriately named Golden Peacock, luxe clothing is still a passion and has been part of our heritage for hundreds of years. The extreme lifestyles of Indian maharajas and the grandeur of Indian costumes and textiles are legendary,8221; says Bal.

For Bahl, couture is what strikes a balance between invigorating styles and fantasy. But for Kumar, the Couture Week has been the much required outing for Indian textiles. 8220;Of late, many Indians have been associating couture with the luxury brands of Europe. The Couture Week is going to be an eye-opener for India8217;s indigenous textiles,8221; says Kumar.

The event, which will be held at the Grand Hyatt from September 16 to 21, will have just two shows a day. 8220;It isn8217;t just clothes, but the settings and choreography too will be worth a watch,8221; says Tahiliani, who feels the week will be in complete contrast to the pret weeks. 8220;This is going to be theatrical,8221; he promises.