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After dressing the gorgeous Bollywood divas and celebs in India and around the world, the “Badshah of Bollywood Couture”, Manish Malhotra, turned his creative eye on men’s wear. Philips, the Styling Partner of Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2015 presented Manish Malhotra’s premiere men’s wear collection called “The Gentlemen’s Club” at the iconic Mehboob Studios to end Day One at Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2015. After being one of Bollywood’s most celebrated costume designers for 25 years and the “Manish Malhotra” label being a favorite for over ten years; the designer launched his grand men’s wear line!
Assorted chairs and tables hung from the ceiling of the giant Mehboob Studio. On the ramp a grand piano stood in one corner, while a wooden table was laden with glass vases and surrounded by chairs. Sofa sets and lounge chairs set the mood for “The Gentleman’s Club” opening as a live jazz band by Gino Banks and Sheldon kept the tempo at foot tapping speed.
Under the flash of UV lights, the fast pace show featured 78 garments with 40 male models who zipped around one of the biggest ramps (80 ft x 30 ft) at a fashion week. Added to the uber glam quotient of the show was a bevy of 22 glamorous female models who glided down the ramp and lounged amongst the furniture in Manish Malhotra Red Carpet creations. Manish’s men’s wear was at times an understated but stylish offering to the Indian male. Introducing the fastidious dresser to classic sharply cut designs, the collection consisted of suits, which Manish turned into very impressive masculine looks. Practical blazers were worn with slim fitted trousers, waistcoats were smartly styled with jackets, bundhgalas, and embroidered bundis had a regal look; while the elegant sherwanis were sophisticated.
With the collection profile being winter and festive, the ensembles were in deep dark tones of midnight blue, emerald green, burgundy and black. Velvet and suiting materials were the predominant choice of fabrics. Tuxedos appeared with velvet shawl collars and the button closures for jackets moved from two, three to four with medium notched lapels – some piped with silk. Long masculine trench coats in jet black, were in varying lengths teamed with suits. Embroidery was botanical motifs in resham thread work and appeared on strategic points of jackets, sherwanis and bundhgalas highlighting shoulders, plackets and sleeves in deep maroon or blue tones with just a hint of gold zari.
There were an assortment of hoodies, printed shirts, double breasted bundhgalas and long winter coats with or without belts. Bringing in some bling were gold sequined jackets or bowties, monochrome suit/shirt trio with shimmering contrast lapels, and a raglan sleeve sherwani with heavy embroidery on one side. An occasional black bundhgala jacket appeared with multicoloured floral embellishments and antique gold, with a rose motif as the highlight.
The final line up of heavy wedding wear was showered with intricate glittering embroidery on traditional Indian ensembles. For such a high profile men’s wear collection, the show stopper had to be India’s top Bollywood male icon. Closing the show was the very dashing and handsome Bollywood heartthrob and true blue ‘Gentleman’, Ranbir Kapoor as he strutted down the ramp in a stylish burgundy four-button suit and printed shirt.
As the live band came to a crescendo with its final number, blasts of confetti from all sides of the huge studio enveloped the very elite audience as it applauded a grand fashion happening to end Day One of Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2015.Manish Malhotra’s fusion and western couture line called “The Gentlemen’s Club” presented by Philips; Styling Partner, proved the designer was all set to give Indian men a very versatile and flamboyant makeover as far as their wardrobe options were concerned.
