Manish Malhotra’s collection, the Empress Story, for Amazon India Couture Week 2015 – the closing night show – was dominated by the presence of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, in her first appearance on the runway in a half decade. Yet the star power at the show (Jaya Bachchan and Shabana Azmi were also present) couldn’t detract from the clothes: Malhotra presented a full range of cuts and silhouettes in striking deep red, forest green, and gold. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan wore a burgundy and black gown with gold embroidery and a dazzling gold shrug, but the most impressive pieces of the night included the first dress on the runway – a sleeveless, deep V-neck, dark red gown with an enormous skirt that had glinting embroidery trailing down its side – and the greens, in more restrained, structured cuts, with flora-and fauna needlework in blush pink and gold.
Photographs: Gulshan Sachdeva
You may also want to read: ELLE review: Rohit Bal at Amazon India Couture Week 2015
