Dazzling bridalwear from the Deccan

While Jayanti Reddy and Divya Reddy have worked together before, it was at Lakmé Fashion Week's Festive/Winter Season that the two came together to collaborate for a show. While both designers hail from Hyderabad and specialise in ethnic designs, their distinct styles shined through in their collections.

Jayanti’s collection, inspired by the Byzantine Empire, brought in regal elements of the Eastern Roman empire. The models floated in draped in gorgeous silks. Luxurious lehengas, sarees and a few kurta and palazzo sets featured in the collection. When Aditi Rao Hydari strutted in wearing a regal black lehenga with gold accents, she looked every bit a royal princess.

Divya’s collection, on the other hand, was a fabulous marriage of the traditional and modern. The designer took her inspiration from the sage leaf, to accentuate the fall colours. Divya says, “I was inspired by the sage leaf, which is why most of my dresses are in deep bottle green. I also wanted to spread the message of peace, since there is so much conflict in the world.”

While most of her designs featured shades of green, her showstopper Taapsee Pannu skipped down the ramp in a bright red outfit, with a trailing cape that seemed to suit her personality to the tee. The vivid red acted as a perfect contrast to the rest of her designs, making the showstopper stand out and look all things fun and flirty.

So, why a red outfit for Taapsee, we ask Divya. “Red seemed to go with Taapsee’s character. She’s a very fun, vibrant person and a bright vivid colour like red seemed more suited to her that a sober green. Also, it's the bridal season and every bride wants a bit of red in her trousseau,” she explains. Speaking about her outfit, Taapsee said, “It’s really comfortable and it still manages to make me feel like a princess. It’s beautiful and such a bright shade of red.”

Explaining her collection further, Jayanti said, “My collection is inspired by the fashion during the Byzantine era — it was also the time that two monks smuggled silk into Europe. So most of my designs have been made with silk or Chanderi silk.” She added saying, “My colour palate also sticks to the fashion of the era and I have made use of a lot of dark reds and smoky greys. Purple was a colour set aside for royalty and I have used that in one of my most favourite outfits for the evening.”