Sabyasachi recently unveiled on Instagram his ethereally gorgeous Spring Couture collection, titled ‘The Udaipur Collection’. As the name suggests, there are references to maharanis, palaces, stately luncheons, rose gardens, gulaal, The Sheesh Mahal and more. The collection makes brilliant use of gulabi gulaal, gold and jade, all in intricate motifs, and presents an ethnic, old-world aesthetic with a muted sheen. The Udaipur lehenga has been the creation of 84 artisans working together over 2200 painstaking hours. Chiffons and gossamer muslin slide gracefully alongside silks and brocades. Traditional zardozi and intricate marori work combine artfully with digitally-printed floral artworks referencing tulips from Holland. The idea, as Sabyasachi states, was to showcase the ecelectic tastes of the Rajasthani royalty, who had ample global exposure but an inherent pride for their roots and orgins. That, in essence, is what the collection has tried to convey, and that is what Sabyasachi calls a “feral dichotomy” conveying the “essence of empowered luxury”.
