ICW: Anita Dongre brings couture for 'bride on the go'

Defying the norms of Indian bridal wear, designer Anita Dongre's bohemian, casual and chic collection was no less than a breath of fresh air at the ongoing India Couture Fashion Week.
"Mine is a bride, who has a busy work schedule. She is a gypsy princess. She wants her attires light," the designer said just before her spectacular show and true to her words were the extremely wearable, smart and simple outfits on display in her line titled, "Epic Love".
The show, which had guests like Shabana Azmi, Manish Malhotra, Bhumi Pednekar and Pernia Qureshi seated in the first row, opened to a plush garden of a Rajasthan palace, recreated on the runway, on a free-spirited, lighter note with chintz-inspired printed lehengas, teamed with Bohemian blouses.

The classic Indian styles blended seamlessly with contemporary long, column tabards which give the wearer a beautiful illusion of height.
From all-red lehenga-cholis to maxi tops shining in dark hues of blue, the collection radiated a celebratory mood. The striking feature about the clothes was its light weight and gotapatti work, two things Dongre's label swears by.
"The first section was beautiful vintage prints, inspired by Mughal garden, Rajasthani gardens, flowers... It was all silk with gota work. Anita Dongre as a label does a lot of classic Indian and also contemporary silhouettes. I design in such a way that my clients can always mix-and match these outfits," the 52-year-old designer told reporters here post show.

Her collection also included bohemian tops combined with long skirts, kurtas, palazzos and sarees. The bohemian gypsy tops can be paired with a printed lehenga just as beautifully as it would go with a pair of silk pants. Fringe-finished sarees with tie-up tops that wrap around the drape added a contemporary twist to the classic attire.

If not the bride, the line makes a great choice for her bridesmaids, especially the gypsy tops and long skirts. Models' hair fastened in tightly plaited braids and heavily hypnotic eyes highlighted in pink and burnt orange lend a young gypsy look.
In the later part of the show, the designer showcased a regal palette, jewel-toned solids in rich wine, orange and the classic reds, creams and golds took center stage. Gotapatti work was seen across the collection - first on the prints and then teamed with thread work.

Men, however, have little choice in Dongre's collection as she mostly restricted to sherwanis.
As expected, Dongre played a lot with colours especially orange. "Orange and wine are my two favourites. I am partial to these colours this season. So, I added these colours a lot. I wanted the outfits to be bright, colourful. I used a lot of blue, black. Every colour has its own beauty."
When asked about the trends for the upcoming bridal season, Dongre said, "I think versatile separates. One of my favourite pieces from my collection is this long top, which is floor length. You can wear it with pants, sharara or lehenga... It will make a woman look beautiful, tall and slim.