India Modern Bridal Collection LFW 2014 – Anita Dongre

Inspired by the crafts and textiles of India, Anita Dongre’s “India Modern” bridal collection presented by Taj Mahal Tea was a stunning offering at Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2014.Once again dedicating the collection to her mythical muse ‘Nayantara’ who is the ideal Jaipur Bride, Anita drew ideas from the grand architecture of the Mughal era for her designs but aimed them at the 21^st century bride.

To the pulsating beat of ace musician Niladri Kumar and his band the “India Modern” wedding collection started on a festive note with foot tapping melodies.

A regal picture was painted by Anita as flowing bridal lehengas were given a modern twist. Subtle detailing and layering were merged cleverly with complex embellishments like gotta Patti, dori and hand embroidery. The rich fabrics brought to life the grand creations like lehengas, cropped tops, structured jackets with ornate pants and stylish couture gowns.The colour card was perfect for bridal wear as jewel tones of ruby red, peacock blue and raani pink gave the creations an opulent touch, while soft naturals like cream and flesh offered delicate options.

The first segment featuring jumpsuits, kurtas and tunics in black and white with gold work was a serene start to the show. Jumpsuits had gold edging, white or black shirt kurtas were teamed with embroidered pants. Cropped jacket had wrapped long tulip skirt, while a trio of gold, white and black embroidered kurtas made a dramatic entry.

Crinkle skirts or kurtas were striking on the ramp with just the right touch of embellishments. Long elegant front slit covers skimmed the floor with ornate trousers as the perfect complement. Lehengas were panelled and shown with simple gold cholis. Bandhani appeared for dupattas and long skirts. A sprinkling of gowns appeared in rust, beige and white with gorgeous gold work. Asymmetry appeared often for the kurtas that had cropped fronts that moved into elegant long backs.

Anita ended the show with a quartet of orange, blue, red and beige panelled lehengas with very ornate hemlines, cholis and dupattas.  A trio of ecru jackets were teamed with raani pink, red and fuchsia glittering long skirts.

Men’s wear had Anita’s controlled styling as a black sherwani or white one was textured cleverly. A smart black Jodhpur jacket, another quilted with blue layering below – all worn with either salwars or dhotis.

For women and men who want large doses of tradition combined with contemporary influences, Anita Dongre’s “India Modern” collection presented by Taj Mahal Tea was the ideal offering for stylish brides.