By Divya A Sunday was the fifth and last day of the PCJ Delhi Couture Week 2012 and Taj Palace Hotel's ground-level lobby was overcrowded - mostly with women - some in heavy saris with brocade cholis,and many others in short Zara and Mango numbers,which I had incidentally seen at Select Citywalk the same afternoon. So crowded,noisy and blingy the hall was that it felt like having entered a Punjabi wedding venue - where the baraat had just arrived and everyone was clamouring to get in - rather than having entered a spot where apparently the "highest form of fashion" was going to be showcased. After I collected my "media pass" (a wrist band saying 'Media 5'),I got an early access to the hall where Manav Gangwani - the man of the moment - was in his casuals,making his front row comfortable. Also attending to the front row was FDCI president Sunil Sethi,who,dressed in a black bandhgala,looked every bit the bride's father - hassled but always smiling,welcoming guests. I was told the front row is very important for the showcasing designer. It must be "suitably Page 3" to be able to rake in enough moolah for him or her. Then,in the dim lights,one saw Gangwani escorting a woman wearing an off-white anarkali dress to a prime seat. Hmm,this must be someone really important! Well,it turned out to be Sunanda Pushkar (Mrs Shashi Tharoor),looking at least three times thinner than how she looks on TV. Gangwani's front row largely belonged to women - mostly leggy and black - actor Raveena Tandon,jewellery designer Farah Khan Ali,VJ Sophie,socialite Priya Chatwal and sister Charu Sachdev,and none other than the Queen of Bhutan - Jetsun Pema - who is one of Gangwani's loyal clients. By the way,many of these details I got from fashion media around me,who thought Gangwani scored well in the 'front row' section. By now,many in the media stand,who were no less glammed up than those sitting across in the front row,were trying to elicit distant "hellos" and "hi's" from the celebrities. Like a Punjabi wedding,the show started more than an hour late. And now,fashion took over. From backstage,Gangwani dedicated his collection - called "Royal Affaire" - to none other than his own team,and then paid a tribute to noted fashion photographer Prabuddha Dasgupta,who had passed away just a few hours ago on that day. Lights off. Music. Action. The first garment was a stunner of sorts but how would I describe it? A 3D swarovski bikini? Gradually,models started appearing in shimmering lehengas,shararas,bikinis,lehengas and Anarkalis - all in black and white. Are bikinis also couture,I wondered? And what about menswear,I asked myself. I was just meaning to ask all this to the person sitting next to me when a few male models descended on the ramp in achkans. Anything that shines is couture,I concluded. And then,the music changed. The lights became brighter. Even as those around me started guessing who would be the show-stopper that evening,the change in music and lighting was only meant to signify the second phase of the collection: now,it was all red,but shimmery nonetheless. After parading his models in around 40-45 pieces from his latest collection,it was time to "stop" the show. And here it was,the 3D swarovski bikini once again. By now,I had figured out how to describe it better - a see-through fishnet maxi with a shimmery brief inside. Now,where was the exit door?
