After two long years, New Delhi saw its first physical fashion show. On a breezy March evening, couturier Rahul Mishra opened the FDCI x Lakmé Fashion Week at the Italian embassy’s lawns. Dotted with olive trees, it was the perfect setting for his latest collection, The Enchanted Garden. The mood board — which he describes as “a stroll through the garden of my nostalgic experiences and personal aspirations of building a studio home in the Himalayas” — was inspired by the time he spent in Italy as a student and his travels over the years.
“The collection is a continuation of our Paris couture line, The Enchanted. Often, a new idea is like a work-in-progress, and so this gave us an opportunity to explore it more and [bring into it] my thoughts of building a beautiful studio in the Himalayas,” says Mishra, explaining how the clothes echo the natural beauty of the mountains, the colour of the flowers, and the fields you find there. “My memories of Tuscany, of south of Italy, went into creating the set [at the Italian embassy] — of entering small, intimate kitchen gardens and having lunch under the sun,” he adds.
Mountain blooms and organza pleats
Spring blooms took centrestage on March 22, with intricately embroidered, gossamer-thin veils sweeping the ground and adding to the drama. The lineup went from soft pastels to ivory, yellow and pops of colour like royal blue, sunset orange and crimson red. Organza, chanderi, chikankari, Mishra’s signature 3D appliqué, and resham thread work merged beautifully in the co-ord sets, floor-skimming gowns, statement jackets, cocktail dresses, lightweight saris, and bridal lehengas that the models stepped out in. We spotted Himalayan poppies, hollyhocks, irises, Aztec hibiscus, and buttercups worked in intricate detail on the clothes.
“We couldn’t have picked a more apt designer than Rahul Mishra to open the FDCI x Lakmé Fashion Week,” says a visibly excited and sharply dressed Sunil Sethi. “We are delighted that this season had a truly international appeal through our partnership with the Italian Embassy and Rahul, who continues to make strides globally.” The collection was elevated by a range of jewellery and accessories from Italian heritage brands, including Zegna, Canali, Georgio Armani, Versace, Salvatore Ferragamo and Bottega Veneta.
“For us, the show wasn’t just about the clothes. It was about giving a beautiful evening, cultural conversations, Italian cuisine, and music from Italy and India [Manya Narang has sung ‘ Mujhse pehli si mohobbat’ live] to everyone,” shares Mishra. “That was the whole idea.” Now, all that remains is a game of I spy. With most of the pieces having red carpet appeal, you can be sure you’ll soon spot celebrities stepping out in the floral black co-ord sets and pastel gowns.
FDCI x LFW ends on March 27.
