New Delhi: Designer Manav Gangwani on Sunday brought the house down at India Couture Week with his Mughal-inspired Begum-e-Jannat collection, an ode to his close friend, the late Kashmir-born Zainab Nedou Patel.
For the tribute, Gangwani turned to another good friend, actress Kangana Ranaut, who was a stunning showstopper for the designer’s collection. Actor Zayed Khan and Robert Vadra were in the audience at the off-site show at the Lodhi hotel.
“With my new collection, Begum-e-Jannat, I paid tribute to my dear friend Zainab Nedou Patel, who passed away recently. And who better than Kangana to do that with? Kangana has been a longtime friend and I am happy she did this for me,” Gangwani told reporters after the show.
The 29-year-old actress wore a gold and burgundy lehenga and was glad to be a part of Gangwani’s couture show for the second year in a row.
Praising his collection, Kangana said, “It’s so beautiful and the best thing about his clothes is that they are so authentic; he is a proud Indian and so rich in his designs.
“He is the right person to represent India and his new label, which is called Mangwani India, we’re hoping that it conquers the whole world... we love his designs and he makes women feel really special.”
The designer added he was inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make In India’ initiative.
Models walked to music curated by Amaan and Ayaan Ali Bangash in 70 handcrafted silhouettes capturing the era of the Mughals and the royal age effortlessly with flowing kaftans, intricately designed lehengas, flamboyant saris and classic sherwani in shades of ivory, black, navy, green, maroon and white.
Gangwani’s collection was an amalgamation of sentiments evoked by the word jannat, meaning paradise.
“Every garment in this collection is disguised as a visual piece of paradise to be owned and cherished,” the designer said.
Accentuated by the timeless zardozi handwork in antique vintage gold to add a touch of royalty, every garment seemed to have thoughtfully crafted to induce the grandeur of times gone by.
The designer said the collection epitomizes the essence of every woman, which is timeless, romantic, demure, yet elegant with an undertone of drama and mystery.
“The collection also strives to reinvent the age-old silhouette of the angrakha, which literally translates to a body protection. This is a crossover open silhouette that is feminine while retaining its royal demeanour.”
The classic sherwani for men was tweaked, inherent with the old world flamboyance yet infused with contemporary styles.
