Shantanu and Nikhil Mehra presented a fashion show at the Ritz-Carlton Pacific Place Hotel in Jakarta. The models walked on the ramp with their retro looks highlighting the nostalgia for days gone by. Sporting colours like brick red, pastel and hues of green, the outfits were highlighted by muted, subtle yet eye-catching shades. Amongst present were celebrities, business people and other personages who gathered to watch their fashion show.
As Shantanu quotes about the fashion show for their Spring Summer collection, “The outfits are derived from the vintage look of colonial India and our efforts to make it look more contemporary. To be exact, the British architecture of colonial Kolkata was a major influence on our designs.”
“The muse for the fashion show is based on an Englishwoman who lived in pre-independence Kolkata and revisited it after India’s independence. The outfits, like the architecture, reminded her of the places where she used to live and the parties that she used to throw,” Shantanu says.
The vintage element was captured in the 45 dresses featured during the fashion show. Taking on the theme “The Shadows Within,” the show was sponsored by the Embassy Group, an Indian property group based in of Bangalore, which has developed more than 3.25 million square meters of prime commercial, residential and retail space in India, Malaysia and Serbia.
Nikhil talking about the collection says, “The sharp lines contrast with the flow of the fabrics of the dresses, giving the whole a three dimensional feel akin to the architecture where we derived our inspiration,” Nikhil says. “While other fashion houses might see models as mannequins for their clothes, we see them more as scaffolding for the ‘architecture’ that is our clothing line.”
Nikhil further adds, “Most of all, the outfits evoke an Indian identity for the clothing, which give our clothes their distinct character and set it apart from foreign retailers that are making headway in the Indian market.”
The clothes showcased during the fashion show are made using a variety of organic fabrics among which is the popular Indian silk. The clothes showcased are in the price range of $1,000 to $10,000.
Embassy Group Chairman and Managing Director, Jitu Virwani is confident the fashion show will have an impact. He says, “The fashion show is in line with Jakarta’s status as one of the luxury capitals of the world. We have come here to give Jakarta a glimpse of our notion of luxury, and introduce India through haute couture, “Shantanu and Nikhil’s work is similar to ours in their design and attention to detail”.
