Krésha Bajaj captures the mystery of an ocean in her 2020 collection

Pratishtha Rana

The first time Krésha took a dive into the deep ocean, she was completely mesmerised. “As I went down, the vivid colours and textures, translucency and the creatures really inspired me. I had already started visualising my pieces underwater,” says Krésha Bajaj, Founder of her eponymous label which is popular for luxury occasion wear.

A passionate diver and lover of life beneath the ocean, Bajaj recently presented her new collection Acropora at an exclusive fashion show in Bandra, Mumbai. “This collection has been in the making for the last two years.” Bajaj also explained that the idea was to explore different silhouettes and textures that resemble the beauty of the ocean.

The term Acropora is taken from a species of reef corals, and beautifully so, her collection spells couture magic like no other. The venue was artistically set up too; electric blue lights and coral inspired cave-like entrance led the guests to towards the ramp.

The showcase unveiled a versatile collection of organza lehengas, lace saris, silk pantsuits, bodysuits and dreamy tulle gowns. The use of bright and muted shades in the outfits, from ivory, peach, coral pink to aqua blue, red and golden, interplayed smartly with the intricate embroideries and textures. 500 karigars hand embroidered these ensembles, which adorn sea motifs, sequins, pearls and crystals all over them.

What stands out is the technique of transmuting the outfit’s colour, from light to dark (signifying the phase of sunrise to sunset) through ombre shading.

The manifestation of waves has been captured through creative draping of the plush fabrics, while for the illusion of watercolour, the designer combined 50 shades of thread embroidery with aari, zardozi and her signature glass beading and crystal work.

The evening welcomed Bollywood’s fashion icons Salman Khan, Shamita Shetty, Dia Mirza, Samantha Akkineni and Kim Sharma at the show. Industry veterans Saira Banu, Neetu Kapoor, Naseeruddin Shah, Ratna Pathak Shah, Rishi Kapoor and Poonam Dhillon also attended the show.