After the momentous success of her solo bridal couture showcase ‘Nur-e-Alaleh’, Shehla Chatoor’s upcoming collection ‘Aks’ (Reflection), is set to dazzle with the sparkle of ‘sheesha’ (mirror-work) on April 28 2019.
The soul and signature of the brand has always lain in its time-honoured craftsmanship and the creation of timeless handcrafted pieces, and this time too the brand’s craftsmen have worked passionately and relentlessly to create the timeless bridal couture collection. ‘Aks’ has been painstakingly crafted with curated hand-spun fabrics including silk and cotton along with velvet, tulle, organza and organdy; using a rich and regal colour palette of ivory champas and gold dovetailed with magenta and plums; silver and champagne; sea-green and soft mint; black with gold, Kashmiri tea-pink and fuchsia, and a plethora of blacks and ivory amalgamations. These have been beautifully accented with intricate traditional hand-crafted mirror-work, gota, marori and zardozi, painstakingly detailed motifs and embroideries that SHEHLA’s skilled team has recreated from historical museum references. Swarovski crystals and pearls are melded and added to further render Shehla Chatoor’s signature ethos.
The silhouettes, which have been reformed to render a more contemporary vibe, include ethereal mukesh Anarkalis; regal intricately-woven gota jackets and flowing lehengas. The accent of mirror-work speckled onto Dhaka pajamas, Anarkalis and sculptural bustiers further adds a boho-chic yet luxe-glam vibe to the ‘Aks’ collection.
As a perfect accessory to the ‘Aks’ bridal couture pieces, Shehla adds bejewelled pouches and old world batwas encrusted with handcrafted zardozi and mukesh with ornate pearl and kundan handles; and minaudière clutches crafted from velvet and age-old jamewaar, accented with embellished tassels.
‘Aks’ also includes a presentation of elegant and majestic menswear pieces like sophisticated waistcoats and sherwanis in beige, ivory, black and tea pink, embellished with intricate embroideries. This menswear capsule is highlighted with Shehla’s handcrafted and hand-embroidered menswear shoes which have been embellished with the finest samples of zardozi from the Shehla Chatoor archives.