ICW 2020: Falguni And Shane Peacock’s Outfits Are Exquisite But The Movie Has A Few Loopholes

In the wake of global Covid-19 pandemic, the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) took a digital turn with the ongoing India Couture Week 2020 (ICW 2020). The latest designer duo to present their collection was Falguni Shane Peacock. The designers showed their collection titled, 'Épouse-Moi à Jaipur' or 'Marry Me in Jaipur', which featured signature elements of the designer duo such as the palatial-inspired motifs, floral hair accessories, tulle dupattas, and feathery accents. This collection of Falguni and Shane Peacock's took inspiration from the 'Pink City' of Jaipur. It was a gorgeous collection, perfect for the glamorous Indian wedding market.

The collection splashed in tones from ivory to champagne pink to beige to bright red featured diverse outfits right from exquisite lehengas to crisp sherwanis. Some of their ensembles also had a brush of ballroom effect with exaggerated sleeves, feathered fascinators, and dramatic floral arrangements adorned on the hairdos of the models. There was a luxurious effect to each of their outfits and their collection captured the glittering and vivacious tones of the grand Indian weddings. The regal tones were quite evident but with a contemporary narration. The collection was shown in a digital format with Shraddha Kapoor gracing the short movie this time instead of the usual ramp walk. However, before we talk about the digital format, we have our three favourite lehenga picks - the wedding wear, which dominated the collection.

The Feather And Ivory-toned Separates/Lehenga

Falguni and Shane Peacock are known for their feather-inspired outfits and they made ample use of it in this stunning collection too. For instance, this ensemble of the designer's duo instantly caught our attention for it had a theatrical effect and because of the fascinator addition, which gave this outfit an old school touch. It consisted of a plunging neckline blouse and a voluminous skirt, but the elements like exaggerated feather sleeves and feather accents at the hem added to the dramatic quotient. Apart from the feathered touch, we also admired the interplay of sheer and textural elements on the skirt, which gave this attire a balanced touch. There was a symphony between the subtle patterns on the skirt and glitzy feathers. The jewellery including the neckpiece and chandelier earrings were an example of wonderful styling. The fascinator accentuated the mystifying effect.

The Grey Floral Sprinkled Lehenga

Grey seems to be the trending bridal hue of the season and Falguni and Shane Peacock made use of this hue with a sprinkle of floral accents. This lehenga of the designer duo's had a class-apart touch to it. We loved the nuanced western silhouette of the blouse that seemed inspired by the corset and armour-like effect with intricate embellishments, making us reminiscent of the timeless Victorian era. The blouse featured textured embellished details with interesting floral-cuts and piping. The model exuded dreamy vibes with her skirt that was enhanced by blue and pink floral patterns and the matching tulle dupatta added to the effect. The jewellery pieces particularly the statement gemstone rings added to the neo-luxe touch. However, the dainty danglers also went well with the attire.

The Powder Pink Jewel-Toned Lehenga

While we aren't much in favour of veil but we understand, it would have enhanced the on-screen effect. This lehenga was one of our favourite picks because it showed the Rajasthani regal splendour and magnificence balanced by the pale shade of pink. We are pretty sure this lehenga will trend and be in demand. The lehenga was voluminous and featured red-toned jewelled accents and architectural motifs in the golden hue. The yellow-toned tassels and the statement gemstone jewellery totally upped the look of the bride. It was a resplendent number and we liked the mix of delicate hue and bold embellishments.

The outfits were exquisite but the grandeur and intricate craftsmanship of outfits were more evident when seen in photographs. However, in the digital movie, the camera wasn't zoomed on to the fine details of the outfits. From what we observed till now at the FDCI's Digital India Couture Week, we noticed that the beauty of digital format lies in focusing on the fine details of an ensemble. On the runway shows because of the usual perpetual darkness in the room and moreover models continuously walking the ramp, it's hard to notice the details. However, in a digital format with editing involved the close-ups can be done on the outfits but this is what we mainly missed in the designer duo's digital movie titled, Spectacle Privé.

The press release stated that the idea behind the digital movie was to take viewers behind the scenes to witness the intrinsic effort put in each creation. The digital movie showed us the backstage - it offered an experience for us to see something before it's officially presented or released to the public. Falguni and Shane Peacock showed viewers how couture comes to life for them. So, according to us, they didn't make a general comment on the backstage but instead presented their individualistic experience and how their backstage looks like. What we liked about their idea was the personal touch and it had a story-like format. They had models dressed in resplendent outfits from their latest collection and putting the top stylists - Shaleena Nathani, Tanya Ghavri, Aastha Sharma, and Mohit Rai in the frame was a great idea. However, the stylists were dressed in the creation of the designer duo too. The question is, does that usually happens because normally stylists are dressed in casual outfits and not really couture? Celebrity Makeup Artist, Daniel Baucer also was in the movie and his presence seemed more natural than the stylists in couture wear.

The short movie opened with the important monuments and famous locations of Mumbai in black and white tone. So, you are thinking something that will take place in the streets of Mumbai but the second frame had the designers walking towards The St. Regis Mumbai. Now, it made us feel that whether the first black and white frame was really required? Shouldn't the movie have had started with the designers headed to the hotel? They opened the door and we are transported to another world - the one that talks about luxury, old-world charm, and royalty. You see the backstage with a continuous movement of the camera that showed different elements of the backstage.

Suddenly you see another frame via the tablet of a model. The tablet was particularly included because the designers wanted to show how intermingled fashion and technology are. The collection note also stated, 'Given the rapid growth of visuals on social media, a powerful new format of communication and expression has emerged.' So, it was an interesting addition and it had a flawless flow to it - the way this tablet was fit into the context. But having said that, the movie lost the flow too!

The first flow-break was the immediate revelation of Shraddha Kapoor in an ivory outfit. You would wonder that this is the showstopper room but to our surprise, they showed us the backstage of a photoshoot of the magazine cover with the actress. So, we got confused between whether this was the backstage of a runway show or a magazine photoshoot. The red-hued outfits were presented with elaborate floral arrangements accentuating the hairdos of the models. The continuous red veil was seen and then came another surprise element. It appeared as if they draped a red veil on a male model (it seemed although we would refrain to comment on the gender). We didn't quite understand because was it to show androgynous gender-fluid effect? We didn't get that and it seemed so all-of-a-sudden. However, we loved Shraddha Kapoor in the red wedding attire at the end. She was expressive and it seemed so well shot - articulate here! And also, the music was so uplifting and it was the most inspiring music so far at the FDCI ICW 2020. We want to find it on Spotify!

Don't forget to check Falguni Shane Peacock's digital spread on their and FDCI's Instagram feeds. We loved the collection but their digital format had a bit of loophole though the idea was so fresh and personal. So, what do you think about their collection and digital format? Let us know that.