Designers Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla will present a unique fashion tableau, paying homage to Varanasi, one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world. The show will be a multi-layered presentation that combines myriad elements such as celebration, festivity, music and silence, spirituality and creativity. It is an ode to the coming together of the mind, body and soul – an essential union that results in an artist’s creative expression, the duo said in a press release. The collections are designed to showcase the rich legacy of silks, brocades, gold and silver thread work, carpet weaving that the city is renowned for. These magnificent traditional fabrics and motifs will find new expression through the duo’s couture, the statement said. The palette too will reflect the different moods and unique spirit of the city. From the pristine whites that symbolise purity and renunciation to the yellows, saffron and oranges and then onto a riot of Holi hues ending with vermilion, India’s signature bridal hue, the colour of anointment, of abhishekam, of sindoor as the finale. Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla say the show is designed to be a breathtaking journey. According to the statement, it is their intention to bring the majesty and magnificence of Varanasi and India to the viewer through their couture, which will weave a uniquely romantic and regal romance replete with history, tradition, arts and crafts, and most crucially, the country’s soul and spirit. Varanasi is also inextricably linked with bridal fashion with the banarasi sari being integral to bridal and trousseau ensembles. “The new age bride is old school. Our evolution always lies in a return to the self. To our primal divinity. To our true and indestructible nature. As C.S. Lewis said ‘We shall not cease from exploration. And the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time. Becoming is simply being. Being at one with her own divinity. This is our new age bride. A woman fully realised,” said Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla.
