Kathakali dancers accompanied a resplendent Mehr Jesia as she sashayed down the runway looking ethereal in a Tarun Tahiliani signature draped form. Lakshmi Rana swirled around in a stunning contemporary rendition of a traditional chikankari lehenga. Locals from Kutch and Kathiawar walked along with models dressed in Tarun’s 2011 Kutch Collection at Mahalaxmi Racecourse in Mumbai recently. In greys, powder blues and sea greens, models sparkled in creations embellished with crystals and stole the show in brocade cape and pant sets even as a procession of folk artists, stilt walkers, life-sized puppets and dhol artists from various regions of India accompanied them during the parade which can only be described as a celebration of modern India.
And a celebration it was, as Tarun unveiled his coffee table book (₹5,999) titled Tarun Tahiliani: Journey to India Modern at a star-studded event at the inaugural edition of Art Mumbai. A deep dive into the designer’s love for fashion, history, culture, craft and the pursuit of a dream called ‘India Modern’, the book juxtaposes the making of his legacy against a historical context of the renaissance of fashion.
