Royal, subtle trends and drapes come alive at IBFW (Review)

Royal bride, gothic bride, Awadhi bride and more... the India Bridal Fashion Week (IBFW) here saw a melange of styles, drapes and trends by some of the country's top designers. But the six-day event, which was held in the capital for the first time, didn't come without teething problems.

There was glamour, fashion, style and, yes, a good dose of Bollywood, but not without long delays in shows and a cramped main show area at the event, sponsored by Aamby Valley, and organised by Fashion One International.

In its first Delhi edition, IBFW, organised at The Grand hotel in south Delhi, had a line-up of 12 shows. A simultaneous bridal expo - Bridal Luxury Couture Exposition - which featured 65 top designers and creative wedding planners, regaled fashionistas too.

Some of the country's top designers - JJ Valaya, Tarun Tahiliani, Raghavendra Rathore, Shantanu and Nikhil, Falguni and Shane Peacock, Rohit Bal, Suneet Varma, Ashima Leena, Meera and Muzaffar Ali, Adarsh Gill, Jyotsana Tiwari and Rina Dhaka - participated in IBFW. They showcased their resplendent collections at the gala against creative and innovative backdrops.

Valaya opened the gala with "The Maharaja Of Madrid". Barring the two-hour delay and seating hassles, the show was a good opener - its entertainment quotient was high thanks to dance artists performing a jugalbandi of Kathak and Flamenco, while the set depicted the old world charm of India and Spain. The clothes itself spelt royalty even as actors Kangna Ranaut and Kabir Bedi sauntered the ramp as the showstopper Princess and Maharaja.

Almost every subsequent show at the event, which ended Sunday night, kept the momentum alive with interesting music and sets, which blended fluidly with the well-thought themes, without overpowering the clothes.

Raghavendra Rathore presented his creations on a ramp which had miniature fountains in between. His showstopper, Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor, felt it made his experience easier.

"I feel the ramp was very well-designed... it was not formal... very casual, done up innovatively and simply," Anil said post the show.

Innovation was also the key word in shows by Rohit Bal and Tarun Tahiliani. While Rohit's trademark lotus filled the ramp and ceiling surface, Tahiliani unfurled his collection against the backdrop of a skeleton of a mansion, and performers from the Attakalari Centre for Movement Arts delivered a visually delightful presentation for his show.

The music for both shows were carefully selected.

"I believe it is very important for people to relate to what they are listening and seeing during a show. So, it is important to be able to create an ambience where everyone feels comfortable in," Bal, whose models walked down with Bollywood's old and gold sensual hits, told IANS.

A range of other celebrities from tinsel town - Sonam Kapoor, Neha Dhupia, Prateik, Amyra Dastur, Alia Bhatt, Sophie Choudry and Jacqueline Fernandez, graced the ramp.

Overall, some of the key trends that came up during the event were - Grecian drapes, concept-based saris, gowns, shararas, anarkalis and achkans in unusual colours for women.

For men, there was an array of interesting options in bandhgalas, dhotis, jodhpur pants, achkans and coats - both in simple and embroidered varieties. Designers deviated from the common black, grey and brown to experiment with blue, red and pink for the contemporary man, who is willing to experiment.

One clear focus was on wearability as most designers avoided keeping the bling factor in control.

For those who were on the lookout for the right bridal look for their own D-day, this event was pure delight!