Racy music sets the pace for grace and grandeur at Shantanu & Nikhil’s ceremonial couture collection called ‘Oasis’ at India Couture Week, presented by the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI). Shot in Suryagarh Jaisalmer, it lives up to its nomenclature with an opulent oasis beckoning in these troubled times - beauty to those deprived of it, glamour to those missing it, power to those feeling helpless. The fashion film illustrates how clothes can change the way the wearer walks, with the posture redefining the perception of the world around him or her.

For him, you saw draped kurtas in kaleidoscopic prints on the finest of silks, paired with armour-like bundis and military-inspired short bandhgalas in black. The cowl trousers go perfectly with both the shorter jackets and longer sherwanis, all topped with jewelled brooches and regalia-inspired accessories. For her, it was a blurring of the boundaries between ball gowns and lehengas with the creation of hybrid styles that are believed to wear well anywhere from New York to New Delhi.

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Voluminous drapes meet expertly constructed bodices to form one-of-a-kind pieces. Embellished with exquisite hand embroideries, they shimmer with crystals, while leather appliqués lend a powerful statement to each look. The crimson lehengas stand out with a softer appeal along with exquisite embellishments. The colour palette moves from gold to navy, reds to blacks, punctuated with multi-colour couture prints developed in-house and transferred onto the most luxurious fabrics.

The contrast linings add a hint of fun and the new cityscape-inspired motifs are emblematic of the global lives we embody now. Yes, it’s all trendy with the times.