FT NEWS

2020 has been the year of many firsts, and couturier Manish Malhotra is only too glad to rise to the occasion. Sartorial savants first caught a glimpse of the designer’s world of ‘Ruhaaniyat’ through his couture film last month. And for the opening show of Lakmé Fashion Week’s first-ever digital edition, Malhotra expands on the narrative by championing indigenous artisans and craftsmen, with all proceeds from the ticket sales directed towards the Mijwan Foundation.

The collection that has been two years in the making plays spectator to the old-world regalia of Punjab and Awadh, as seen through the lens of the designer’s signature sartorial flair. Archival fabrics and never-seen-before vintage textiles find modern iteration in his capable hands, headlined by zari-woven accent borders. For the wedding season ahead, make note of the kalidar kurtas, khada dupattas, ghararas and izar salwars that will ensure all eyes aren’t just on the bride. Men can, meanwhile, choose from jama angrakha and heavy shawls, set in pure and cotton silks, mashru, velvets and muslins.

2020 has been a year unlike any other, but it has not been bereft of momentous milestones for the designer, as his association with the Mijwan Foundation clocks in ten years. Emerging from the abyss, it’s a brave new world to be explored and Malhotra looks forward to conquering the digital frontier. Style watchers will be quick to spot the lustrous finishing touches afforded to the collection from the designer’s eponymous label, Manish Malhotra Jewellery. Think statement-making passas, maang tikkas, matha pattis, haathphools, kadas and haars. The handcrafted fare takes cues from the jewellery styles that flourished in the provinces of Punjab and Awadh, bestowed with a contemporary spin through Russian and Zambian emeralds, pearls, rubies, flat-cut diamonds and pure gold.