DECORATIVE ARTS
I recently spent a day hiding out inside the Pierre Hotel, at the Splendid Indian Closet, a trunk show where twelve celebrated Indian-based designers showed their current collections. As I watched the presentations I was struck by the persistence of tradition. Virtually all of the clothes shown that day were traditional garment types (sari, lengha, kurta, salwar kameez), executed in traditional palettes (fuschia with red, saffron with burgundy, sea foam with navy) and with traditional embellishments (embroidery, lace, zari, beads). The one designer who succeeded in taking these conventions and elevating them to dazzling, supernatural effect was Suneet Varma.
This designer’s work has a sense of refinement that’s not always evident in Indian fashion, which can be over-embellished without being purposefully so. In many of the garments from this recent show, the ornament is so lavish that not much fabric is left bare. But each ensemble remains monochromatic, built from layers of gauzy chiffons and slithering silks in a single glowing hue (pale peach, bright lime, berry red, sky blue). And the ornament, while over-the-top, is carefully structured, repetitive, rhyming, pulling the entire garment together.
Varma worked as in intern in Paris, with a stint at Yves Saint Laurent, and there is a very French sense of exoticism (India!) and theatricality to his work. The models moved down the runway slowly, self-consciously and regally. They held enormous jewel-trimmed veils over their heads, rolled their hips like Jessica Rabbit, and took dramatic pauses in the middle of the runway. They were styled with elaborate knights-of-arabia turbans, hooker-high gold heels, and glittering, shoulder-grazing chandelier earrings. Like John Galliano’s gowns, Varma’s lenghas and saris are costume-like, magically transformative. They turn the women wearing them into courtesans and movie stars, vamps and queens.
