It was a week of high fashion in Mumbai when Tarun Tahiliani, one of India’s beloved fashion designers brought his dazzling collection to town, during another famous fashion event. Staged at the famous Mehboob Studio in Bandra, the event drew in the best of Mumbai’s fashion elite. We dropped by to take a look at the ‘Tarun Tahiliani Couture Exposition 2012’, which was in its fourth edition. Sixty of his pieces, along with the dress worn by Mehr Jessia Rampal at Cannes, were on display for two days.

As clear as glass

The entire event was staged in a specially constructed area, which was created for the occasion using multiple glass technologies by AIS Glasxperts. This innovative stage called was ‘The Jewel Box’ to conjure up images of precious pieces contained within a beautiful box. Some of the types of glass used included the distortion-free AIS mirror and the Ecosense range. The fun and unique addition to this exhibition was ‘The Big Strike’ contest. Tahiliani’s watch collection was displayed inside a box made with AIS Securityglas and guests were invited to try and break the glass with a baseball bat. If they succeeded, the watches were theirs! But each guest was given only one strike and while this reporter did not attempt to swing the bat, rumour had it that so far no one had succeeded in grabbing those watches!

Of course, the cynosure of the event was the fabulous gowns and Indianwear that were gracefully draped over mannequins. Tahiliani is seen as someone who understands the intricacy of Indian workmanship and European ideas of fit and tailoring. He brings these two together in his creations and the new Bridal Couture Collection displayed were examples of this. For the bride, keyhole jackets with lehengas in rich red and gold grabbed the spotlight. Swarovski Elements were used in most of the pieces, which added to the sparkle and allure of the pieces. Contemporary anarkalis with scoop necklines doubled as both gowns and Indian bridal wear. The saris, regal in style and subtle in colour, were varied in material but of great fit. A tulle sari in shades of jade, concept saris with fluted black lining and a silk chiffon sari in copper with lace were the highlights of this range. They were all embellished with Swarovski Elements as well. But Tahiliani believes that couture need not necessarily mean silk. Mangalgiri cotton can be made luxurious and fashion-forward as well, which showed in some of the cotton pieces at the event. For the men, Tahiliani’s famous sherwanis were on display, many with intricate threadwork and gold brocade. They were accessorised with stoles and vintage shawls. Still, Tahiliani believes that bridal couture should be about the bride, not about trends. The central piece of the collection took close to 4,000 man-hours to complete and shines brightly with hundreds of Swarovski crystals.

Different elements

Also on display was the Vu-Tarun Tahiliani Couture TV. The collaboration between Vu Technologies and Tarun Tahiliani produced a 3D TV which is available in 55 inch dimension. It also has an in-built PC and is decorated with Swarovski elements again in latticework style. It is a limited edition creation and its price, of course, is revealed only upon request.

Walking around the Couture Exposition, I could not help but feel in awe of the stunning pieces. The shine and luxurious feel of the creations is not as pronounced in photographs. The few lucky ones who were able to see the work at the Exposition will attest to that. Make sure you catch the next edition of Tahiliani’s Couture Exposition.

>archana.a@thehindu.co.in

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