Veteran designer Monisha Jaising showcased her collection, “Opera” at FDCI India Couture Week 2017 (ICW ’17) on July 28 at the Taj Palace Hotel, New Delhi.
The collection draws inspirations from the Opera and 16th century adolescent girls of the best society, who had a fine silhouette and jewels catching the light and resembled gorgeous portraits as they sat in their boxes at the Opera House. The collection synchronized with the evolution of displaying one’s finery and the dynamics of performance on stage.
Speaking about the collection, the designer said, “Having been to the Opera in the past, the inspiration for my collection was triggered by the fond memory of the Opera house flowing with people in their finery. I find the whole process of displaying this finery starting from the entrance, walking up the palatial stairways, to the seating area to be exceptionally enticing! You can sort of say that it is a fashion show for the people by the people.”
The collection radiated elements of luxuriant fabrics and airy silhouettes. The colour palette of each garment personified the strong character as well as the fragility of the Opera singer. They fashioned transitions from burgundy to rose pink and from metallic to ice blue.
The fabrics used in the collection depicted theatrical variation by combining the traditional, velvet metallics, tulle, chikankari, Italian organza, banarasi, metallic satin infused with contemporary details. The ensembles in the collection consisted of garments like lehengas, evening dresses, cocktail saris, evening gowns, crop tops and ball skirts.
The highlight of the night was the showstopper, Shilpa Shetty Kundra, who looked magnificent walking down the ramp in a red brocade silk ball gown. The golden weave of the fabric gave an ethnic touch to the garment, while the draping was inspired by the 18th Century.
