“The pandemic has taken the weight off of brides”: Tarun Tahiliani on his lightest collection yet

It’s a brave new world we are living in, and some would argue that couturier Tarun Tahiliani is better equipped to deal with it than most. Last year, while the industry was finding its footing in the new normal, the designer put together the first full-length virtual runway show the country had witnessed. And now, his covetable couture creations have received a comfort-first update for spring/summer ’21. 

“The pandemic gave us something that I think we all had lost—time,” he tells us of the vision for his new collection, ‘Timelessness’. “I can speak for myself when I say that staying in the same house for six months gave me time; it allowed stillness. It’s something I haven’t done before, and as a consequence, I had a lot of time to think, to evaluate and re-assess—much like most of us. This has affected my fashion direction at many levels, and there are going to be many fundamental shifts in our behaviour which, in turn, will reflect in the quality of what we pick and how we shop,” he reflects. 

Inside Tarun Tahiliani’s new collection, ‘Timelessness’

The  couturier believes the change can also be witnessed in the modern bride of today who is no longer content with being a bystander, but seeking to be an equal participant in the festivities. “It’s funny how the pandemic has taken some weight off of the brides. They are no longer under the pressure of delivering a red carpet-like look or having to worry about being noticed by three thousand people in a stadium. They can now just pause and be themselves, which is how it should have been, anyway,” he says. So, what’s on the roster for the post-pandemic bride? After a year of staying indoors, he predicts that the weddings of 2021 will be anchored by colour, brightness and the sunny outdoors. In response, his lineup offers playful pastels and metallics as well as reds for the traditionalists. Expect classic lehengas in a fine tulle base with silks and bandhini, with the use of kundan affording further lustre to the handloom textures and intricate Benarasi brocades. 

“When the global pandemic forced the world to pause in 2020, it gave me time to revisit certain techniques and come up with more advanced application methods to artisanal crafts, such as ari, kashida, kasab and chikankari, among others. Moving beyond the use of Swarovski crystals, we’ve experimented with greater use of gota patti, kundan, dull metallics and threadwork to bring soft fluffiness and drama to each of the pieces,” he elaborates. The Persian jaali in monuments have long played muse for the designer, and this season, sartorial savants will want to watch for the laser-cut jaalis accentuated with kasab and kundan work. 

In order to make the collection truly timeless, the designer has also focused on inviting levity into his lineup. “I started off with working on making our signature looks lighter. We gradually transformed our sindoori red, classic beige—my personal favourite—hues of pinks and blush in embroideries like kashida, chikankari and so on, so that the general prevailing sentiment is in tact while we find a way to make it more comfortable,” he adds. 

Any other year, a new collection launch would have been celebrated with the pomp and spectacle that the occasion commands. However, even as the world cautiously opens up again, physical shows remain a distant dream for the moment. Ask him about which he’d prefer, and Tahiliani has no trouble picking sides. “Watching a fashion show on your laptop screen or phone is not the same as attending a show—there is no question about that,” he declares, and adds, “A live show is immersive, there is a scintillating buzz that emanates from there being a live audience. Even in today’s world that is replete with augmented reality, nothing quite compares to the sheer joy of seeing fashion in a live format. Having said all of that, life must go on, ideas must be generated and re-generated. After much thought, our first digital showcase last year was our attempt to bring people the excitement, escape and joy of creativity.”

Tarun Tahiliani announces partnership with Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd

If 2020 afforded the designer the chance to pause, 2021 has already proven to be an eventful year as he announced a strategic partnership with Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd (ABFRL)—one that has been two years in the making. With the new alliance, the brand will make its foray into the men's premium ethnic wear segment, while ABFRL will also acquire a 33% stake in the designer’s existing luxury couture business.  

Tahiliani believes that the partnership has served as the harbinger of new beginnings, in more ways than one. “I have great personal respect for Mr Kumar Mangalam Birla; my engagements with him over the last two years have taught me so much; especially his attention to detail. Since I have never worked with anybody or in any serious corporate structure before, this collaboration has been a huge eye-opener and a joy for me,” he says. Having always looked forward to experimenting with menswear, he hopes to bring his signature fit, form and quality to a larger audience at a more accessible price point. “For me, personally, this partnership has allowed me to do what I do best, which is design and build on both, the new and the existing brand. It is difficult to be creating constantly when you have a million other things to take care of and a business to run. I hope to have my partners run distribution, which is their forte, while I have greater freedom to design,” he concludes.  

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