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Inspired by the frescos from the 30 Ajanta caves, Gaurang presented his magnificent ‘Chitravali’ collection at Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2017.
Myriad rows of bulbs hung from the ceiling and created a magical scene when lit turning the Ballroom of St. Regis Hotel into a starlit night. To the strains of the melodious voice of the legendary singer, Shubha Mudgal, Gaurang’s extravaganza featuring 41 models stunned the appreciative audience with its amazing creativity.
Using the frescos as hand-painted Kalamkari on Kanchipuram silk; Gaurang blended the beauty of these two traditional mediums. Opting for natural dyes obtained from the bark flower and root, the final result was a kaleidoscope of red from pomegranate seeds, yellow from harde, blue from indigo, black by blending iron and jaggery green by fusing indigo and myno balan for the magnificent colour story.
The prints recreated the fresco scenes along with images of birds, beasts and bejewelled animas. The Kalamkari technique was incorporated cleverly on the brightly coloured Kanchipuram silk brocades with the glittering golden borders whose richness was further enhanced by using the Korvai weaving technique ideal for festive wear.
The blitz of luxurious saris with stunning gold borders and pallavs painted with the intricate Kalamkari images were breath-taking in their beauty and made every woman in the audience want to own them.
The richness of the brocades with their gorgeous weaves – some featuring the majestic lion motif on the borders – were works of art in fashion.
The ensembles with the Kalamkari paintings were an assortment of Indian wear. From floor skimming long full-flared anarkalis to short kedia blouses, pants, long lean kurtas, the collection moved to multi-pleated lehengas, shararas, ornate dupattas and empire line swirling kurtas. Each creation was a dream to behold for its artistic aesthetics and designing skills.
Imaginatively using the paintings, Gaurang ensured that they highlighted the hemlines, pallavs, blouses, dupattas and at times as placement options or covered the entire garment for added drama.
The look created by Lakmé Makeup Expert, Sandhya Shekar played with copper tones to complement the collection and was kept very fresh and natural. Copper tones were the highlight, which gave the make up an earthy feel with a hint of glamour.
When it comes to tradition, heritage and fashion all combined for the festive season, Gaurang’s masterpiece, the ‘Chitravali’ collection was undoubtedly an heirloom offering that fashion connoisseurs will treasure.
