While we took our seats and waited for the show to begin, we weren’t aware of the unexpected melody that was to follow. A happy surprise was veteran musician Niladri Kumar along with his band playing pulsating tunes that sometimes made us tap our feet while at others kept us immersed in the beautiful ambience.

And when the first model walked down the runway, we weren’t complaining of the time gap. Inspired by the textiles of India and the Mughal era, Anita Dongre’s collection named “India Modern” bridal collection presented by Taj Mahal Tea was an assortment of the decades gone by and the contemporary times.

Her muse being “Nayantara”, the ideal Jaipur bride, our visual senses indulged in the regal picture painted on the stage.  Silhouettes ranged from lehengas, couture gowns, cropped tops, structured jackets, jumpsuits, ornate trousers, skirts and more.

The colour story included jewel tones such as ruby red, peacock blue and fuschia, alongside beige, white, black and gold.

Predominated with gold, Anita’s collection featured black embroidered kurtas paired with embroidered pants. Sticking to the metal’s gleam, gold hand cuffs, heels and gold embroidered sling clutch seemed synonymous with luxury and richness. Neat high bun added to the sophisticated attire.

Black lehengas are definite en vogue, especially when they come bordered with gold. Paired with a black blouse with gold embroidery and an attached dupatta made a dramatic entry. Gold earrings, handcuffs and nail polish, how gold is gold?

Ranging from plain gold high neck blouses paired with black embroidered skirts to black shift blouses with heavy gold embroidery, the assortment flaunted of various splendid styles.

Menswear was defined by textures and layering. Textured jackets, jodhpuris, as well as quilted ones were paired with either salwars or dhotis.  Footwear included formals, mojaris and strappy sandals.

Asymmetry was used beautifully as kurtas came cropped in the front and progressed to elongated backs. Bright coloured ensembles flaunted of intricate gold embroidery and mirror work. Oversized gold borders added shine to the matte-finish skirts.

The last segment of Anita’s show were dipped in the colour palette of red, blue, orange and beige. Comprising of panelled lehengas with ornate hemlines, cholis and dupattas. Maang tikka complemented the bridal look of the ensembles.