The Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre in Mumbai, a new performing arts venue, was formally launched as a three-day event with some serious fanfare and high fashion this past weekend. Supermodels, actors and India’s elite attended the event wearing some stunning red (technically, pink) carpet fashions which were a modern take on tradition.
NMACC Launch Fashion Photos
The NMACC centre houses a three-story art gallery, an intimate 150-seater experimental theatre and a larger 250-seater studio theatre, all of which have been quietly hosting shows since late last year, but the “crown jewel,” as it were, made its grand opening this past weekend.
The grand opening began on Friday evening with a musical, Civilization to Nation: The Journey of Our Nation, directed by Feroz Abbas Khan.
On the second day, April 1, guests were invited to Fashion in India, a large-scale exhibition curated by Hamish Bowles which showcased the works of today’s hottest Indian designers like Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Tarun Tahiliani, Rahul Mishra, Manish Malhotra, Ritu Kumar, Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla, and Anamika Khanna.
Scores of celebrities, entertainment moguls and popular personalities attended the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre launch. While many donned modern and/or traditional takes on the Sherwani or Kurta, some attendees went all-out with stunning ensembles that combined traditional Indian garb with modern materials and extraordinary craftsmanship.
Of course the French and Italian fashion houses such as Yves Saint Laurent, Chanel, Dior and Valentino were represented. But it was India’s own impressive couturiers and fashion designers, especially Rahul Mishra and designers Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla, along with Amit Aggarwal, Falguni Shane Peacock, Manish Malhotra and Anamika Khanna who gave us fashions we thought worthy of sharing.
Like America’s Red Carpet, there was a wide range of styles and colors. Some were flattering, others, not so much. Some wore gowns that were very revealing, some that were extremely chic and several whose country of origin could have been anywhere. But the gowns that were inspired by India’s traditional culture, then customized, modernized or embellished were particularly impressive.
In some cases, the traditional Indian Sari or Anakarli suit was amped up with materials like metallic silks or sequins. We were especially wowed by some of the heavily embroidered contemporary lehengas and colorful Dupatta sets.
