Goosebumps. That is the word most guests used to articulate their experience of witnessing Anita Dongre’s recent couture extravaganza showcased in the sprawling inner courtyard of the iconic City Palace in Jaipur. As I sit down with the otherwise elusive designer at the palace’s Baradari restaurant the next afternoon, she looks visibly content following the landmark presentation she and her team just pulled off. “It has been a long-held dream to have a show here,” she admits. This was a true homecoming for Anita, in many ways.
The Jaipur native, whose brand ethos is heavily steeped in the crafts and culture of Rajasthan, has always turned to her hometown for inspiration. She shot her maiden bridal collection at the City Palace back in 2012. The palace grounds are also where she met pichhwai artist Lekhraj, with whom she has since gone on to collaborate on her pichhwai couture pieces. So, the Rewild’23: Fashion For Good showcase was ultimately a full circle moment over 10 years in the making. With it, Anita became the first-ever designer for whom the erstwhile royal family opened the majestic gates to the pink-washed central courtyard of its 300-year-old home, even co-hosting the fundraiser with her (Rohit Bal’s 2017 show in the palace was in a smaller section).
