Within the elegant confines of the Oberoi’s ballroom, beneath the delicate glow of lights and the scent of recent mogra, 95 appears — wealthy with chikankari, resham, kasheedakari, shaded threadwork, jaali, and zardozi — narrate the story of artisanal methods. Tarun Tahiliani’s collection Quintessence, showcased as a part of India Couture Week, is a quiet celebration of craft — textile, type, and end.
Strains of the piano, saxophone, cello, and drums fill the corridor as fashions meander throughout the completely different seating areas. The music segues into jazz, classical, Indian and delicate rock even, in a means that’s symbolic of the varied moods of at this time’s bride.
Tarun Tahiliani
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The silhouettes — in tulle, lace, satin organza, and bandhini — embrace lehengas, panelled kalidars, idea saris, layered jackets, and structured corsets, created preserving in thoughts motion, grace, and lightness. The color palette begins off mellow with delicate shades of ivory, beige and delicate gold and graduates to misty rose, blush, almond, pinks after which to reds.
Models at Tarun Tahiliani’s present at India Couture Week
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For this presentation, the designer selected to ditch the same old runway and do a salon-style viewing. The salon is a type of runway — simply extra intimate, says Tarun. “Couture, by nature, is incredibly detailed. Even I’m often stunned when I see how many thousands of hours go into a single garment,” he says. To honour this craftsmanship, he needed individuals to expertise the items up shut, like the unique Parisian couture salons the place fashions walked between seated visitors. “Back then, it was about silhouettes. For us, it’s about silhouette and the mastery of embroidery — something I believe no one in the world does quite like India. With the subdued colour palette in Quintessence, you need to get close to truly see the finesse,” explains Tarun. The clothes teem with delicate florals, summary foliage, and reimagined Mughal motifs.
An outfit from Tarun Tahiliani’s collection Quintessence
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This collection, ultimately, is a mirrored image of who Tarun is — “deeply Indian, constantly evolving, thinking in English, dreaming in chikankari”.
Quintessence is gentle and devoid of excesses. It takes a step again from heavy bridal put on. It’s an evolution, not a rejection of custom, Tarun clarifies. Brides at this time are selecting individuality over conference. They wish to personal who they’re on their massive day, not be weighed down by what they’re “supposed” to put on. The market is shifting too and this stems from girls turning into extra emancipated, educated, and expressive. They need marriage ceremony garments that mirror them, not simply societal expectation, he says.
The silhouettes — in tulle, lace, satin organza, and bandhini — embrace lehengas, panelled kalidars, idea saris, layered jackets, and structured corsets
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
The marriage ceremony market now has plenty of Gen Z brides. This technology is thought to be starkly completely different from the earlier generations of millennials, Gen X, and many others. Does the designer take a unique strategy whereas designing for them?
An outfit from Tarun Tahiliani’s collection Quintessence
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
“I don’t design for generations — I design for now. And “now” is fluid,” says Tarun, including, “Gen Z brides are confident, self-aware, and experimental, but that doesn’t mean we discard tradition. Rather, we reinterpret it — like a farshi skirt reimagined as a pleated wrap or chikankari on modern corsetry.” He approaches it by understanding the intention of the bride/groom. Whether somebody is in search of minimalism or maximalism, Tarun gives instruments to precise that identification by lower, material, and element. “The only rule is authenticity,” he provides.
For this present, Tarun as soon as once more selected to disperse with the idea of a celeb showstopper. This goes along with his agency perception that garments should be the showstopper. He says, “I’ve said it time and again — craft, karigar, construction: that’s the real star. Let the work speak.”
