Dressed in an elaborate gharara and traditional jewellery, stylist and costume designer Pernia Qureshi, who is making her acting debut with Muzaffar Ali's "RAQS - The Dance Withiin", managed to give audiences here at the BMW India Bridal Fashion Week (IBFW) a taste of her look in the upcoming period drama.
She plays a courtesan in the movie.
Filmmaker Muzaffar Ali, known for helming "Umrao Jaan", along with his wife Meera, co-own the label Kotwara.
As part of their show at IBFW Sunday night, they amalgamated the best of the brand's past collections over the last five years. The ensembles were then evolved and detailed to the next level of refinement and perfection.
The line featured suits, saris and lehengas with unique features like pearls blending with sequins, chiffon blending with velvet and net blending with brocade to create a collage of textures, silhouettes and colours.
Overall, the collection presents the quintessence of the Awadh culture as evident in "RAQS - The Dance Within", set in 1877.
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Pernia, who has styled actress Sonam Kapoor multiple times and also has an online pop-up shop, elicited curiousity as she took to the ramp in a gharara, which happens to be one of the outfits that she has worn in "RAQS...".
A part of the outfit has been taken from a heirloom item belonging to the royal family of Kotwara that Muzaffar Ali belongs to. The flare of the gharara was such that when Pernia catwalked, she had to hold on to it rather than letting it free.
Post the show, she quipped: "While I was shooting for the film with them, I used to wear it for three hours. So, I guess, now I can jog in it."
Praising the designer duo's fashion, Pernia said: "There's a consistency in their designs and they have exquisite. One thing that always stands out in their collection is that you'll always look 'appropriate' wearing their creations anywhere."
The jewellery too played an important role in reflecting the right image of the character that Pernia plays in the film.