Growing up in Ludhiana where the old invariably connects with the youth, Harpreet Narula was intrigued by the Indian royals. Over the years, he has realised their enormous contribution in being custodians of our heritage. So, for the first time he celebrated that remarkable era of the 20th Century in clothes in his ‘Maharajah and Co’ collection at Amazon India Couture Week. The collection will be available in stores in Diwali.
“I have used royal’s exalted lifestyle as a subject in my collection. It was due to their patronage that India was commissioning textiles for the past 800 years. I have always been fascinated by old textiles and artefacts. And royals have been patronising crafts and getting work commissioned from families of artisans. As designer I look back into the past and find inspiration, revitalising old weaves and reinterpreting embroideries and motifs.”
Explaining the reason for documenting only the 20th Century, Harpreet says, “The maharajas and maharanis were the toast of the European high society. They were equally at ease in the exclusive royal ballrooms of Calcutta and Kapurthala as well as chic Parisian saloons. So in this celebration of royal opulence we had to use an amalgamation of Indian silhouettes and imported accessory which had classy looks. Indian made paisley shawls crafted using Kashmiri tapestry weaving technique was a rage among the European aristocrats. Maharajas set up weaving centres; thus Banaras became known for brocades, Patola for Ikkat, Kashmir for Jamawar.”
Selection of silhouettes – dramatic capes and robes, sheer billowy jackets, regal cloaks and lehengas – was done to give the majestic look of the bygone era. “The collection was our way of giving a glimpse of that opulent era of high fashion in which royals dictated the trend and regal clothing and accessories gave Indian princes the most dashing look.”
Since this was a collection inspired by Indian royals, Harpreet had to go back to that era. “During our research we discovered that this was the period
Those were the days when Maharajahs were obsessed with Western luxury but at the same time they also had to keep the local craftsmen in good spirits. “During my study as well as travel abroad I realised that royals kept themselves abreast of the latest in fashion while keeping the Indian artisans in good humour. So this collection meant going back into the lives of royal families of Kapurthala, Nabha and Patiala. The collection is a tribute to their lifestyle by incorporating Indian style and craftsmanship with Westernised cuts and silhouettes.”
An interesting meeting ground of couture, craft and heritage, the collection gave a feel of the good old days of the Raj. “The splendour and glory of the erstwhile period is the foundation of ‘Maharajah and Co.’ It was a celebration of royal opulence.”
Age-old embroideries like zardozi and kantha were used to give the Indian connection. But other influences from neighbouring China were also there. “Those days, royals were mixing with their counterparts, getting inter-married within the country and abroad. So different influences were there in my collection. Chinese embroidery was used. It has lot of threads and embroideries inspired by Chrysanthemums, butterflies and birds.”
To give the royal look, Harpreet says he did things the other way. “Rather than use gold, silver and semi-precious stones, I replaced silver, gold wires with metallic yarns. To match the Western culture, the prints were inspired by paisley shawl, which was woven in 1820. I had it as my family’s heirloom. Since I am essentially a collector, I had old textiles which were digitally converted into prints.”
Since this was his second event in the fashion week, the choice of accessory was important as mismatch with the dresses and put him in a spot of bother. “I do not think that partnering with an accessory manufacturer imposes limitations on one’s creativity. Since this was a fashion week no doubt it was risky.
But I was already acclimatised with the Preciosa crystals having worked with it for a year. So it was a well calculated decision. I used handcrafted embroideries in a way that they matched with crystals. The crystals infused life onto the surfaces of each ensemble. Crystals of high quality was necessary as this inspired by royalty,” says Harpreet.
