THE GLASS GIVEAWAY

Any debate that the avant-garde that sidetracks bling is soon going to be a market in Indian fashion will be silenced by Tarun Tahiliani’s Couture Exposition 2012,now an annual multi-city feature. If — like everything else in the world — there are two ways to look at this splash of opulence,then on one hand,this is decadent wedding couture — beautifully finished,intricately detailed,infused with craft and textile techniques,interpreted both in drapes and in structured silhouettes — a Tahiliani trademark. On the other,it rebutts,a bit too loudly,the hope that wedding wear can also be interpreted,without crystals or that new ideas must give imagination to the Shining Indian wedding.

That apart,the pièce de résistance this year,installed at a place of pride inside the DLF Emporio — the venue of the exposition — is a lehenga that gives arithmetic lessons. You can endlessly count Swarovski crystals that encrust the garment made from several fabrics — in shades of peach,yellow,cream and topaz combining layers of shine and matt. Additionally,it took approximately 4,000 man hours to create it. Seventeenth century Mughal floral motifs and jali work on the skirt of the lehenga make it a stunner.

The quirk in the entire spectacle is an unexpected competition. In one corner of the exhibition area is Big Strike — in the form of a glass cabin which has a box and a baseball bat inside it. A set of six special edition Timex watches (worth over Rs one lakh) created by Tahiliani sit there inside a sheath of glass. If you can break the glass covering with the bat,the watches are yours. If not,you can always write home about it.