Varun teams a draped gown with a churidar and uses charcoal black to create a winning buzz
It was a star lit night for Varun Bahl, with Slumdog Millionaire star Freida Pinto launching the latest, gleaming Audi, wearing his three dimensional floral print dress. Black, minus any bling, embroidery or embellishment made its presence felt in crepe, high slit, peplum dresses with sheer backs. These beauties were teamed up with rose print, sepia toned wool crepe pants. “A lot of people think bridal is the only couture that exists in India; I somehow wasn’t so convinced, so I decided to do what works for me. All black, is classic, elegant and timeless,” says Varun.
It was a huge risk to take in a market obsessed with sequins and zardosi. But his risk paid off; Varun added subtle cutwork and appliqué in a bid to avoid heavy embellishments and still make an impact.
Little touches like making the backs different from the fronts were ingenious, and so was the use of ombre to add delicacy or just the bright strips on the bottom of his dupattas for pizzazz. “It was a concerted attempt to steer clear from shine, having that freedom was quite liberating for me,” he says.
The shine was compensated by threadwork and resham, with birds embroidered on pallu of saris, along with raised pipe work to give a three-dimensional, graphic feel. “I love to use the rose as a motif, it has this innate beauty which is raw and untouched,” he adds.
From draped, pre stitched saris, to Anarkalis, lehengas, sari gowns—- for the first time Varun showcased the gown with a churidar. “I wanted to try something new, unexplored and I thought why not take an Indian invention and combine it with a Western silhouette,” he concludes.
