Lakmé Fashion Week 2024: Two designers, two fashion POVs

With Tarun Tahiliani closing the 9pm slot with his readytowear brand OTT just a day before Rohit Balrsquos House of Lakmeacute grand finale the scene was primed at the recently concluded Lakmeacute Fashion Week x FDCI in New DelhiThough Tarun Tahiliani 62 and Rohit Bal 63 may appear worlds apart in their design aestheticsmdasheach a fantasist in his own waymdashthey share a defining trait their brands are cornerstones of Indian fashionTheir paths first crossed long before they entered the industry when they shared a bus to St Stephenrsquos College in New Delhi Nearly four decades ago with the encouragement of the late Rohit Khosla they began their careers Rising to prominence in a postindependence socialist India both drew inspiration from a society poised for changemdashan era of optimism youthful idealism and a search for identityModel Sheetal Mallar in a Rohit Bal ecru pleated gown paired with a long jacket right Models Sheetal Mallar and Lalit Tehlan at Rohit Bal grand finale showWhile many in the fashion press have often cast them as rivals Tahiliani and Bal have been behind some of the most inspiring shows clothes soundtracks ideas and imagery of the past few decades Dressmaking has been their medium but their influence has opened up other worlds Together they embody the old guard still shifting fashion in new directionsI felt India was becoming polarisingmdasheveryonersquos either thrilled to wear Western clothes or dressed in some form of costume whether for a wedding or Bollywoodrdquo Tarun Tahiliani was in a reflective mood before the debut of OTT his luxury readytowear brand last week ldquoWhy not move away from these extremes and embrace a modern Indian stylerdquoIn an era where the past often gets drowned out by the noise of digital culture one might expect it to pose a challenge for someone like Tahiliani who doesnrsquot have a personal Instagram account and draws endless inspiration from Indiarsquos past Yet he remains pragmatic about fashion as a rapidlyevolving business one that requires a shift in longstanding industry mindsets particularly in India ldquoA few years ago I started ignoring the external opinions on bridal couture which were all about the ldquoredrdquo lehenga moment or this trend or that I just said lsquoI canrsquot do itrsquo So we began focusing on beiges ivories and the colours that worked for our brandrdquo he says Tarun Tahiliani introduced a select range of accessories including bags and footwear as part of his OTT labelThe same sense of defiance seemed evident in OTT This isnrsquot Tahilianirsquos first dance with readytowearmdashhersquos explored it in subtle yet notable ways over the years From the Milan show in 2002 where he showcased gauzy lehengas paired with anklets to the vibrant crinkled fabrics of the Kumbh collection 2013 and the 2016 Kutch presentation ldquoThese are collections I love but they were either ahead of their time or eclipsed by heavier bridal pieces Even though we tried to highlight them separately merchandising often added 10 anarkalis at the end which left people confused about the overall messagerdquoWith the standalone OTT show the message was crystal clear This 50plus piece showcase marked a shift from the couturedriven take on ldquoIndia Modernrdquo opting instead for a more inclusive accessible approach of dressing ldquoSurprising or maybe not I trust my instincts Couture has taken a backseat itrsquos almost like itrsquos shot through the roof What I feel resonates with a lot of women is different for each group Ultimately you have to listen to your own voice and what feels right at the momentrdquo he explainsThe result was a confident collectionmdashclear in its TT handwriting restrained in its palette and refreshingly broad in its appealActor Aditi Rao Hydari closed Tarun Tahilianirsquos OTT showcaseThe name ldquoOTTrdquo almost didnrsquot happen as it is Tahiliani originally wanted to call it simply ldquoTTrdquomdashbut an underwear brand with the same name raised an objection when they tried to register it ldquoSo I thought why not add an lsquoOrsquo My team kept saying lsquoThis brand is anything but OTTrsquo I told them lsquoThatrsquos exactly the point Itrsquos the perfect twist on it because of what it isrsquordquoThe overall gestalt was about dressing an intelligent woman who values what she does over the brand she wearsmdashand who recognises the difference With tailoring as sharp and assertive as a wellplaced exclamation point OTT offered versions of archival TT dhoti drapes and gilets with his own spin on trench coat and a select range of accessoriesYet beneath the confident surface there was a restraint that ran through the show evident even in the final look worn by actor Aditi Rao Hydarimdashan indigohued crinkled wrap dress paired with a harness It felt as though Tahiliani was holding fire poised and plotting his next statementTarun Tahiliani updated the utilitarian trench coat with a twist part of his OTT labelAT 930 pm last Sunday as the highly anticipated Rohit Bal finale for the House of Lakmeacute titled Kaaynaat was about to begin over 50 models stood ready backstage A sudden burst of applause rang out from behind the scenes reverberating into the October sky above the Imperial Hotel The sound reached the audience seated outside signalling the start of a show that would be remembered long after the final curtain callFashion is often pegged as the ultimate symbol of change but in truth itrsquos often a study of repetition Since the very first runway show formats have followed a familiar rhythm starting with more retrained pieces that hint at the designerrsquos mood board only to crescendo into the most fantasticmdashoften expensivemdashconclusions that fully showcase their visionThen came Bal light on his feet with the kind of gay abandon that upended the conventional flow He injected emotion into the autonarrative giving us some of the most magical shows of his career something that feels rare in todayrsquos fastpaced whambamthankyoumarsquoam showcasesFamously known for watching his shows from the sidelines before taking a bow Bal didnrsquot let his ailing health upset that tradition As Deep in Vogue by Malcolm McLaren and Bootzilla Orchestra played the first look emerged a male model in a long velvet cape its shoulders draped in foliage zardozi and his head crowned with a Kashmiri topi For this writer the show truly began when supermodel Sheetal Mallar stepped out in an ecru gown and jacket It instantly called to mind Balrsquos 1995 collection where Mallar was draped in a crinkled ecru ensembleKaaynaat was not just a grand finalemdashit was a masterclass in how heritage brands can honour its traditions while adapting to modern sensibilities The show continued Balrsquos longstanding engagement with the political dimensions of identity expressed through dress particularly in his repeated examination of the skirtmdasha symbol of power and femininity well before the rise of gender neutral fashionAnd it was all there on the runway in the velvet and zardozi where sleek straightline silhouettes moved from quiet mulmul closepleated skirts and gowns to the opulent crinoline lehengasmdashundulating beguilingly over the hips their zardozi blooms flattering the body like a gilt frame around a paintingBal took a postbow alongside Mallar showstopper Ananya Pandey the face of Lakmeacute x Rohit Bal Bloom beauty range and longtime friend Lalit Tehlan Fashionrsquos protean talent Gudda danced lightly to INXSrsquos Afterglow a fitting salute to Balrsquos threedecadelong journeyAlso ReadDilLuminati Tour Raghavendra Rathore to style Diljit Dosanjh for European leg