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Jewel in the crown

Sabyasachi's collection at an upmarket London boutique was inspired by the spirit of Hyderabad

Photo: Mohd. Yousuf

FORGET ABOUT the Raj, the Nizams and James Kirkpatrick. And forget about the city of bandhs and bandhgalas. The Hyderabad chromosome has mutated and jumped from its narrow by-lanes to the broad shelves of Brown's, the international fashion house at London's highbrow Molton Street.

This is where the king of Calcutta couture, Sabyasachi Mukherjee, has unravelled the compelling magic of Hyderabad's textile traditions.

While others before him have retailed at London's premier department store, Selfridges, Sabyasachi has gone a step further and become the undisputable czar when his clothes were unveiled at Brown's, considered London's fashion mecca. And the spirit of Hyderabad is just about ready to jump off those racks - Sabyasachi's new collection is inspired by the Indophile colonial rulers and by the élan of the erstwhile princely state of Hyderabad.

Says the affable couturier, "I spent some of the best vacations of my childhood in Hyderabad. I love the city-its mohallas, its mirchi bajjis. But more it's culturally strong core and its rich heritage of textiles. My collection at Brown's and at Carma, Delhi, is inspired by the spirit of Hyderabad, its etiquette and grace and even its heightened sense of charm and also by the White Mughals who adopted the ways of this city. There is a certain innate charm that was Hyderabad."

While the collection at Brown's is largely westernised with a couple of Indo-westerns thrown in, the collection at Elahe based on the same theme and similar but not exact in design is mostly Indian. Says Rajeev Shroff of Elahe, "Brown's retails mostly gowns with a heavy Hyderabadi influence in the ancient look embroidery, the beadwork, the kalamkari and Sabyasachi's trademark quirky surface ornamentation. What we have here has more emphasis on the crotchet work especially on the sleeves, kalamkari on the dupattas and zardozi on the panels."

For Sabyasachi, tradition is the trend. The result a whole lot of salwars, tortured saris (burnt and stained to give it an antique look), gowns and stoles that celebrate the textures and craftsmanship of Muslim India, especially Hyderabad. Covered in zardosi, aari and gota the styles epitomise the quintessential feminine grace, the fabrics are caressing - mostly crepes and silks, and the embellishments, rich yet understated.

The chicken tikka may have well replaced the perennial British favourite of fish and chips, but it's the sharp tang of kalamkari fabric that's making a statement in London's Westend.

DEEPA ALEXANDER

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