Luxebook July 2022

the modern interpretation is all about feeling empowered, sexy, confident, and rocking your underwear as outerwear. With a change in construction and modern interpretations of the age-old trend, corsets have made it to the right side of the trend list. When looking through the lens of Malhotra, he points out that, “Runways are full of revamped corsetry after going through several modifications, with modern silhouettes and unusual fabrics moulding the shapewear in its style.” A brief history of corsets Corsets made an appearance in the 16th century in the Western world. Corsets were essentially a part of clothing used to accentuate a women’s waistline and champion the idea of a flattering tiny waist. During the early eras of corsetry, corsets moulded a woman’s upper body into a V-shape that flattened and pushed up the breasts, and young children were also often fitted with corsets to ensure an upright spine and pleasing body shapes later in life. Later, as fashions changed, corsets became more hourglass-shaped to emphasize the female figure. Throwing light on the history of the garment Malhotra shared his expertise, “When we dig into fashion archives, the corsets were constrictive and meant to show a desired slim waist or an hourglass figure, but now due the same garment is democratized and reinterpreted in a fashion-forward manner with a fresh perspective which is undoubtedly more casual and exceedingly comfortable.” The corset was first associated with the aristocracy but was adopted by bourgeois women in the 18th century. Speaking about the history of corsets, Dolly J recalls, “When you look at history of corsets, they were initially worn by the aristocracy under bulky gowns or coats as a means to constrict the waist and support the bosom. Later they were adopted by the working class as well and were worn by both men and women.” Being associated with aristocracy, and 18th fashion, corsets that have made a re- appearance making them a must- have item for 2022. “ I think there’s been a newfound fascination with royalty-inspired fashion and all things vintage. This has led to the re-emergence of the corset as a fashion staple,” said Shah. Adding further to this Malhotra also feels Shibani Dandekar in a custom JADE ensemble for her wedding day L-R: Bustier from Khaab, Manish Malhotra Couture Collection 22 Couturier Manish Malhotra Monica Shah of JADE by Monica & Karishma 36| L U X E B O O K | J U LY 2 0 2 2 J U LY 2 0 2 2 | L U X E B O O K | 37