In 2002, Sabyasachi Mukherjee introduced his first womenswear collection called Kashgaar Bazaar at Lakmé India Fashion Week, which was shown on a parade of wan women — some of them oddly whimsical-looking, many of them in geeky glasses carrying books. In the context of catwalk tactics, it was considered a masterstroke. His clothes introduced the idea of secret luxury, voice or feeling, albeit a beautifully embroidered one, that a woman longed for on her body. "That was the collection that made me who I am today," says Mukherjee, 45, followed by a plain-spoken, "You know, I still feel like an outsider in this industry. For lack of a better word, I was born middle class, will always be middle class."

Last night at Mumbai-s Grand Hyatt, the designer revisited his debut collection as part of Kashgaar Bazaar — In Retrospect, a show in collaboration with Christian Louboutin. The runway spectacle collaged new and old influences, but with a heart pulsed in the present. "I-m known as a bridal designer, but with this collection of 129 outfits, we explored a different paradigm; a mix of everything and not specifically ready-to-wear, couture or resort. Many industry folks had not seen the [2002] collection, and we didn-t keep any archival images or have a social media team [then] to document it. Kashgaar Bazaar remained in my head. The collection is not 2002 anymore; it-s 2019."