Tarun Tahiliani recreates wedding scene in shopping mall

NEW DELHI - A three-storey haveli decorated with marigold flowers, mannequins as baraatis, a mandap and wedding music in the background — ace couturier Tarun Tahiliani turned the city’s luxury shopping mall DLF Emporio into a wedding venue as he kickstarted his Bridal Couture Exposition Saturday.

The launch was probably only half as grand as promised, because there was a sudden change in his elaborate plans to showcase his collection with a live wedding procession. Nevertheless, the show still spelt grandeur.

“The show was supposed to be held outside the mall but since we could not get the permission from the police, the entire show had to be shifted inside,” Tahiliani told IANS.

“We had planned to show a real baraat and brides had to come riding on an elephant but everything had to be made still. At one point even the bride and groom had to come riding in a car but that couldn’t be done,” he lamented.

To accommodate a bit of his initial plan, the designer installed mannequins dressed in Tarun Tahiliani finery as though they were dancing in a baraat.

The launch also saw some mesmerising dance performances.

Tahiliani’s bridal collection was a blend of Mughal royalty with western silhouettes. While the collection saw a range of saris, lehengas and anarkali suits embedded with Swarovski crystals for women, sherwanis were the only option for men.

The colour palate was subtle with range of white, gold, burgundy, black and red.

“My attempt is to popularise Indian culture and find a new expression by making the royal culture stand out in the clouds of western influence. There is a lot of grace in our Indian culture and my aim is to make it contemporary and approachable. I don’t believe in creating clothes which can’t be worn after the show ends,” he said.

The collection, priced between Rs.60,000 and Rs.1,300,000, is on display July 25-26. Tahiliani will also provide consultation to brides-to-be.