New Delhi: With a dash of oomph, drama and sensuality, Bollywood actress Sonam Kapoor inaugurated the seventh edition of BMW India Bridal Fashion Week (IBFW) here.
The 30-year-old “Dolly Ki Doli” star turned a Varanasi bride for designer duo Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla’s opening show last evening.
Sonam rang the curtain up with her sensuous dance performance on American singing sensation Lana Del Rey’s song “Will You Still Love Me”.
Wearing a golden body-hugging gown, she lip-synced the number and moved her hands as she sashayed down the ramp.
The Bollywood fashionista opted for a highly embellished lehenga and teamed it with Swarovski encrusted zardozi blouse as she walked the second time, during the closing, with British singer Ellie Goulding’s “Love me like you do” from “Fifty Shades of Grey” playing in the background.
“I feel good. I feel like a bride in this outfit. It’s very heavy. But I enjoyed the experience of walking the ramp in this beautiful attire,” Sonam, who kept her make-up minimal, told reporters after the show.
The designers, who have a rich clientele in Bollywood including the Bachchans, received a standing ovation by their celebrity friends like Dimple Kapadia, Jaya Bachchan, her daughter Shweta Bachchan Nanda and grand daughter Navya Naveli Nanda.
The set recreated the old-world charm of Varanasi, which was also the title of the designers’ collection, on the banks of the Ganges on the night of a full moon.
The collections was also designed to showcase the rich legacy of silks, brocades, gold and silver thread work, carpet weaving that the holy city is renowned for.
“It was our intention to bring the majesty and magnificence of Varanasi and India to the viewers through our bridal couture. Sonam was the perfect showstopper for it,” Abu said.
The line was divided into five sections — Vrindavan, the ghats of Banaras, aisha, lotus, pashu (animal).
The colour palette reflected the different moods and unique spirit of the city.
It began from pristine whites and moved to rainbow colours like yellows, saffron and oranges and vermilion.
The designers also experimented with men’s wardrobe and introduced sheer kurtas, embellished ganjees, long jackets which they paired with dhoti pants and transparent sneakers, while female wardrobe included blingy lehengas, sarees, wearable anarkalis and long dresses in vibrant and muted colours.
Other names from the Indian fashion fraternity like Tarun Tahiliani, JJ Valaya, Falguni-Shane Peacock, Gauri-Nainika, Shantanu-Nikhil, Rina Dhaka, Ashima-Leena, Sulakshana Monga, Suneet Varma and Jyotsna Tiwari will unveil their latest collection at the five-day event.
Suneet will bring the curtains down on the event on August 11.