Amazon India Couture Week 2015 closed out amid much fanfare with two of the most glamorous actresses in Bollywood, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Kangana Ranaut both strutting their stuff on the runway for designer’s Manish Malhotra and Manav Gangwani respectively.

MANAV GANGWANI

Manav Gangwani is one of the most promising designer’s to come out of India. At just 34 years of age he has already carved a niche for himself as a highly acclaimed fashion designer. Widely recognised for designing opulent couture, Gangwani is incredibly popular amongst high profile celebrities like Lady Gaga, Kylie Minogue, Preity Zinta, Priyanka Chopra, Shahrukh Khan and even Salman Khan. His label has become a force to be reckoned with in the high end luxury fashion market.

Heavily inspired by the French romanticism period, his aptly titled collection, ‘Le’Amoureuse,’ unveiled beautifully structured silhouettes fit for a modern princess. Gangwani has infused his designs with a lot of romance, elegance and vibrancy. His sensuous mens and women’s collection featured luxurious gowns with long trails, capes, sari gowns, tailored suits, coats and dhoti pants.

The designer presented a mix of feminine and contemporary ensembles in various fabrics and textures such as georgettes, translucent organza, delicate lace, sheer tulles and zardosi work.

As like most designers at this year’s Couture Week, the pieces showcased rich craftsmanship and exquisite thread work with intricate floral embroidery and swarovski crystal embellishments. The rich colour palette was mostly comprised of jewel tones as well as bright corals and turquoise hues.

Bollywood actress of the moment, Kangana Ranaut wore a sumptuous, glittery purple gown complemented with bold and heavy smokey eye makeup and wearing minimal accessories. Her gown weighed around 30 kilograms, but the confident actress looked incredibly comfortable as she effortlessly sashayed down the catwalk.

Gangwani’s whimsical and romantic creations exude grace and royalty. He narrated a beautiful tale on the runway with silhouettes in many deep, contrasting hues, celebrating the sensuality and confidence of a woman. A woman who isn’t afraid to step outside her comfort zone and make a bold statement.

“When a designer chooses a colour palette, it reflects his mindset at that point of time. For me, grey is related to smoke which starts my creative journey. The colour story then leads to coral which depicts fire and moves to aqua that is used to extinguish the fire. It ends with purple which depicts victory and power. Therefore, against all odds, victory is achieved.” – Manav Gangwani 

These bold and statement ensembles are perfect for the bride and groom who want to give their wedding the royal treatment. Manav Gangwani’s classic yet contemporary designs offer unparalleled opulence. Absolutely magnificent.

MANISH MALHOTRA

In what was a fitting grand finale, renowned fashion guru, Manish Malhotra wowed audience and celebrities alike with his charming display of old-world, 1950’s inspired silhouettes. As the man himself so eloquently put it, this was a time “when western fashion was being revolutionised and fashion shows had a sense of an intimate experience and luxury.”

Manish unveiled his newest collection titled ‘The Empress Story’ at an opulent offsite location with a select few from the Bollywood fraternity making a presence. Against a lavish backdrop featuring a beautiful ornate chandelier and luscious roses, models sashayed down the runway in a range of beautiful silhouettes in bespoke styles, cuts and vibrant colours.

Best known for his exquisitely crafted bridal wear, Manish’s dedication to his aesthetics are what has set him apart from other designers. This year he showcased intricately embellished festive gowns in rich textures and jewel-like tones. Each outfit was infused with Indian design sensibilities. The voluminous gowns, lehenga-choli’s and structured mens suits featured elaborate flora and fauna motif appliqués in delicate thread work and zardosi embroidery. The varied colour palette shifted from gorgeous jewel-like tones such as metallic silvers and golds, luscious burgundy’s, deep blues onto then the more subtle rose pinks, greys, blacks and coffee brown. Adding to the grandeur of the runway event, models wore handcrafted shoes and adorned masquerade masks designed by Nitya Arora of Valliyan. 

Making some what of a mini comeback to the runway scene, Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan looked ethereal as Manish’s showstopper. After a 5 year hiatus, Aishwarya oozed confidence dressed in a striking heavily embroidered burgundy coloured skirt, matching top and sparkling gold shrug.

“2015 is a very special year for me as it marks 25 years as a costume stylist/director and 10 years of my label ‘Manish Malhotra.’ What makes it even more special is Aishwarya returned to runway after five years as the showstopper for my show. She is a style icon. She is beautiful and stunning.” – Manish Malhotra 

Whilst many were swept away by Aishwarya’s presence and her wonderful ensemble, one of the most impressive pieces for us was the sensuous sleeveless deep red silhouette hand stitched with intricate shiny embroidery patterns. Understated elegance for the modern Indian bride, this gown would make for the perfect reception party wear. Menswear was just as classy, with the designer sharing a preview of his limited edition mens collection and for the first time revealing unique shoe wear.

As seen throughout Amazon India Couture Week, understated drama seemed to be one of the key recurring beauty trends with models wearing romantic, smokey eye looks, nude lips, contoured cheeks and shiny glossy hair. MAC‘s star makeup artist, Mickey Contractor added a new dimension to the traditional smokey eye look by teaming shimmery burgundy hues with thin eye liner and heavy mascara.

Manish Malhotra’s collection epitomises grace, mid-20th century splendour and royal opulence. These ensembles were a refreshing departure from his usual work, with the designer producing more restrained pieces that highlight and also celebrate the intricacies of traditional craftsmanship. He has proved once again why he is so popular with South Asian brides from all over the globe.

“2015 marks an important milestone as the ‘Manish Malhotra’ label celebrates 10 years and 25 years a costume director. ‘The Empress Story’ is a special collection as it not only ends the beautiful decade that was, but also represents the beginning of a new phase for the brand. It captures the excitement and thrill of taking the next step, while taking pride in its foundations. With ‘The Empress Story,’ I return to my love for timeless aesthetics and structure along with fine craftsmanship that has taken months to translate onto fabric. All the elements in the collection do speak a common, universal language of elegance and élan. Much like the power of femininity, these will never go out of style.” – Manish Malhotra

What a fabulous finale to this week long celebration of refined Indian couture. Don’t forget to stay tuned to the blog for the best trends from India Bridal Fashion Week and Lakmé Fashion Week Autumn/Winter.

Full highlights from the final day of Amazon India Couture Week can be viewed here —> http://bit.ly/1R9slxb

What were your highlights from the final day of Amazon India Couture Week?

*Content and images courtesy of Vogue India, Amazon India, FDCI, Harpers Bazaar India, Verve Magazine, Luxpresso, Indian Express and BoldSky.