India's most coveted couturiers, Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla, presented an exclusive collection of their couture at the Blender's Pride Fashion Tour in Delhi on Saturday, February 15, 2020.
It was a night that redefined craftsmanship, design and the spirit of holistic beauty, for the new decade.
The theme, 'BLEND' is an ode to the unifying power of fashion. The collection celebrated the diverse moods, cultures, techniques, and textiles of India through a brand new creative expression. A highly original expression that transcends borders, breaks boundaries and fashions eclectic and holistic beauty at its most intoxicating.
"We are passionate about India. About the diversity she represents. Of tradition, culture, history, craft. 'BLEND' is our ode to this remarkable wealth. Our design expression celebrates the myriad, distinct, beauty of each and brings it all together as a unified collection. This is India. This is who we are. A magnificent whole comprised of so many distinct parts," shared Abu and Sandeep.
Fashion for Abu and Sandeep is also an expression of the soul, spirit, and zeitgeist of the day.
"This collection is also our ode to the spirit of one love. It's about breaking free, ditching the rules and borders that separate. Beauty does not discriminate. Love is inclusive. Love takes on many different forms. Fashion is an expression of our individuality. It must be a celebration of difference. We had transgender, crossdressers, LGBTQI people wearing our collection. The men were in heels and women in flat juttis. Fashion and love are about freedom," they added.
"Love is never shy. We are owning who we are. We are also owning India and Indianness through our traditional textiles, embroideries, and techniques. We do not need to conform, we must write our own rules and walk our own path. All of us together as one. That is the blend we are passionately committed to and unabashedly proud of," shared the duo.
Sara Ali Khan, opened the show with a beautiful hand-embroidered Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla burgundy georgette skirt, paired with a taffeta top with exaggerated double-layer puff sleeves. A lavishly embroidered jadau collar with multiple fringes was worn on the neck over the blouse.
"Sara was an instinctive, straight from the heart, choice for the showstopper. She is 'our baby', having grown up in front of us. Her mother, Amrita Singh, one of our first muses and forever friends. Today Sara is a star in her own right and light. She possesses everything, the spirit of 'BLEND' does and exudes it," they added.
"Absolutely original, fabulously old school and contemporary, she is the best meld of tradition and modernity. Her own woman, her own sense of style. A unique beauty. The perfect muse for this show and our collection," further added Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla.
For the finale, Sara Ali Khan wears a bright rose pink satin silk ghagra and shoulder dupatta from the 'Tamba' collection. Lavishly hand-embroidered in intricate gold zari and Kasab and accented with gold metal sequins and crystals.
Her choli style blouse is fully embroidered in jadau pieces. A silk bandhani trailing head dupatta, hand-embroidered in sequins and crystals with multiple borders completes the utterly romantic ensemble.
"I am delighted to be here this evening and walk for Abu Sandeep at the Blender's Pride Fashion Tour. I have associated with them since childhood and it has been such an amazing journey ever since, reminiscing walking for them at their book launch in 2012. Their work is priceless since it resonates with all generations. Their eclectic theme, "my blend, my pride" brings out a quirky vibe that breaks the conventional paradigms," said Sara Ali Khan.
Ankur showed immense swagger as he walked the ramp in MARD by Abu and Sandeep. He wore a khadi shirt collar open short sherwani embroidered in gold vasli zardozi geometric border with tiny crystal and red resham dotted lines khadi silk kurta and red and gold brocade pant.
Delhi socialites and celebrities seen present and supporting the designer duo were Shalini Passi, Kalyani Saha, Ruchika Mehta, Priya Sachdev Kapur, Hanut Singh, Vikram Goyal, Sonia Passi, Dimple Poddar, Gayatri Sinha, Samir Saran, Anand Bhushan, Neha Kapur, Siddartha Tytler, Prateek Jain, Neha Nagar, and many others.
The presentation itself delighted the senses. An infinity set by Sumant Jayakrishnan, featuring the duo's trademark reflective ramp, choreography by preferred professionals and music mixed by Kiran Kamath weaved their magic in a show of massive scale with sixty models walking the ramp in their mesmerizing collection.
It was couture that set new standards from the duo. Their trademark is also a stand-apart 'experience'.
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