Anita Dongre Makes Couture Cool: Introduces Tulle Skirt, Obi Belts

Tulle skirts with tabards; obi belts with lehengas; lehengas with pockets: Is it Couture or Coolture now?

Heavily embroidered gota patti tabards with tulle skirts was the breakthrough design fusion we had been waiting to see in Indian couture all through this season. And we got that, and much more, at the Anita Dongre show at India Couture Week. Dongre’s Winter 2017 collection, 'Tree of Love' is inspired by the Bishnoi community's reverence for trees and unsurprisingly, has lots of tree and bird motifs.

Honestly, it was surprising to see the lightness of tulle so brilliantly offset by dense Indian work. But it worked beautifully well. And in the bargain, also ended up making couture, comfortable.

Lehengas With Pockets: Now We are Talking

Hey, that wasn’t all in terms of innovation. Continuing her commitment for bridal comfort, Dongre once again had models in gowns and lehengas walk the ramp hands in pockets - looking super sanskaari chic!

Obi Belts with Lehengas: Can I Just Cry?

Big lovers of obi belts ourselves, we especially loved its surprise entry in the category of Indian wear. I mean, obi belts on lehengas; is this East-Meets-West-grand-finale or what?

Couture Type Tea Length Dresses: Love Being Desi Audrey

Continuing with her design experiments, the designer also gave us mushroo and hand-embroidered tea-length dresses, a delight for people like yours truly who like Indian wear but don’t want to fully commit to it! It also ended up making us feel very Desi Audrey.

Enough with the gushing over innovations, even the trademark gota patti lehengas (an Anita Dongre USP) with traditional weaves and exquisite embroideries were top notch. Aside from the usual rich maroons and emerald greens that we are utterly used to seeing on lehengas, the addition of blue was interesting to note.

Now, gotta get that gota-patti, man!

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