Grand Maestros

Naeem Khan

The man behind the former first lady Michelle Obama’s sartorial choices and understated elegance, Naeem Khan could do no wrong. It was during his apprenticeship with legendary designer Halston that he mastered the tricks of fabric manipulation and garment construction, working with iconic figures like Elizabeth Taylor, Liza Minnelli and Andy Warhol.

Known for his ornate details and elaborate drapes, he began to cement his position in the fashion industry after the launch of his eponymous label in 2003 and showcasing collections at New York Fashion Week. But it wasn’t until the 2009 state dinner, when Michelle Obama made an appearance in a strapless Naeem Khan Gown complete with sequinned flower motifs and bangles that he became a household name.

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With regular sightings of Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, Penelope Cruz, Kate Hudson in his creations, Naeem also reserves a soft spot for the royalty. The couturier to Queen Noor of Jordan and the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, often turns to his Indian roots for inspiration. On her visit to Taj Mahal with Prince William, Kate Middleton opted for a white and blue embroidered dress from his 2015 resort collection with temple and dome-like details.

Michael Cinco

If you remember Aishwarya Rai’s Cinderella-esque entrance at the 70th Cannes Film Festival, you are already familiar with this Filipino designer’s work. Renowned for his surreal mix of fantasy and allure, his designs exude a delicate sense of luxury and drama. His gowns can often be seen on a slew of stars such as Mariah Carey, Lady Gaga, and Sofia Vergara. Citing old Hollywood glamour as his go-to design aesthetic, he was mesmerised by the couture gowns that adorned iconic actresses such as Marlene Dietrich, Joan Crawford and Grace Kelly. His signature use of volume sewed harmoniously with crystal and beads makes his proficiency hard to miss. Starting his eponymous label in 2003, he further bolstered his position as a master couturier when he showcased his collection at the Paris Couture Week.

Routinely drawing inspiration from shape, form and architecture, his 2017 Haute Couture collection is a tribute to the Palace of Versailles with baroque influences. Michael however has a special spot for opulence and all things shiny. The Impalpable Dream couture gown designed for the Swarovski event in 2007 remains one of his most treasured designs. He even designed Victoria Swarovski’s (heiress of the Swarovski empire) wedding gown. With 500,000 Swarovski crystals it weighs 46 kilos and has an eight-metre-long train.

Ralph & Russo

When it comes to haute couture, it is hard to match the place of its birth and the international couture powerhouse, Paris. But, we have to admit that the world of high fashion has not been the same since the power couple Tamara Ralph and Michael Russo founded their fashion house in 2007. With an ironing board and seamstress, the Australian couple moved base to London to set up a British couture house. They got their French seal of approval by being the only British couture label to be invited to showcase their collection at Paris Couture Week in a century. Born into a family with a legacy of four generations of couturiers, Tamara is the creative half of the brand whereas her boyfriend Michael oversees the economics. The house thrives on their sublime craftsmanship designating a department to each aspect of dressmaking. Thousands of Swarovski crystals, micro pearls and other intricate details are sewn carefully by the embroidery department, a team of nearly 30 women. A single piece of garment, when worked on by nine people can take nearly two months to complete. Angelina Jolie greeted the Queen in their creation while receiving her honorary damehood, Beyoncé donned an ensemble for her Mrs Carter tour. It isn’t commonplace for a haute couture house to be able to establish itself in only a decade, but with their near perfect eye and ability to cater to a diverse set of clients, success does not come as a surprise.

Tarun Tahiliani

Tarun Tahiliani was the first to have opened a multi-designer boutique in India, co-founding Ensemble in 1987. He rose to fame as a designer in 1995 when Jemima Khan was spotted wearing his designs.

Having showcased at Milan and London, his well-known collections Rubaiyat and Kumbh are like artworks in ambers, deep red, pinks and blues. A master of blending traditional weaves with a western aesthetic, his clothes are known for its surface texturing, use of Swarovski crystals and flattering silhouettes. He specialises in bridal gowns and trademark drapes.

His recent line Chashme Shahi at Lakme Fashion Week 2017 highlighted his craft. With various reinterpretations of jaal and new graphics, his beige and ivory palette allows structured draping, in order to enable the piece to fall in a particular way. His Chikankari collection was a clear representation of resham embroidery on damask prints, while his drapes are accentuated with thread embroidery.

Georges Hobeika

Appointed as guest member of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, this Lebanese designer started his journey apprenticing at different international design houses such as Chanel. This year his label turns 23.

Starting out as a civil engineer, Hobeika always had a keen interest in architecture. However on graduating, he shifted focus to his mother’s boutique atelier, where he honed his sketching skills. Having drawn inspiration from his Arabic roots, his collections depict a blend of grandeur and grace. His flowy gowns are nothing less than rich details of crystal beadings and intricate embroidery, which happens to be his trademark. For his Spring/Summer 2014 collection, he turned to nature that served as the central theme. The harmonious blend of crystals and pearls embellished on fabrics depicting dew drops on a flower petal rendered a lifelike imagery.

Georges has continued to reinvent his artistry with newer embroidery techniques to adapt to simpler and lighter fabrics. Presenting his collections in Paris for over a decade, his bold silhouettes have often been worn by Eva Longoria, Emily Blunt, and Hilary Swank.

Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla

The Boys, as they are affectionately called, have been in the business for over 27 years. The duo is given their rightfully deserved due, being the first Indian designers to have had their creations featured at the Harrods.

Known for using modern art forms in couture, they have been hailed for their work in reviving chikankari and zardozi. They use a blend of soft and electric palettes of red, pink, black and blue hues. Their Renaissance bridal collection showcased in 2014 had heavy use of mirror embroidery and chikan work on different fabrics, with gold wire embroidery.

Their modern interpretation of brocade has also been considered as a fresh flavour of fashion. Their label is a culmination of machine embroidery and hand detailing. Their signature style of mixing light shades with chikan work has become talk of the town.

The duo has also used architectural art deco motifs to design Melita Toscan du Plantier’s red carpet dress, and is known to play with silver-wire based intricate designs.

Anamika Khanna

Having no formal training in fashion designing, Anamika Khanna’s creations have been gracing the red carpet across the world. As one of the Indian designers to have been invited to showcase her work at the Paris Fashion Week, she has rightfully claimed her space under the international sun. Her use of eclectic, non-traditional aesthetic made her actor Sonam Kapoor’s go-to designer. Her strong point remains ensembles with subtle embellishments and dreamy colour palette.

She works with intricate embroidery techniques such as zardozi and is credited with giving us half sari, dhoti pants, zipper kurta and cape dupatta. Her Lakme Fashion Week collection 2015 showed a perfect blend of sculpting and de-sculpting and black and bling.

Her reinterpreted use of fabrics and patterns has won women over, even as it catapulted her into the Damania Hall of Fame. Actors Kareena Kapoor Khan, Freida Pinto and Deepika Padukone have been spotted in her creations on several occasions.

Neeta Lulla

Her fashion journey began with one kaarigar, a sewing machine and 500 rupees in her pocket. After two decades, the House of Neeta Lulla is one of the most sought-after labels. The only designer to have won four National Awards for Costume Design, she has been closely associated with film industry, designing for film Chandni, dressing up Sridevi. So far, she has worked in over 300 Indian and international films.

Her best known works are her reinterpretation of paithani, an ancient technique of combining coloured threads with those of either gold or silver to decorate silk. Her most notable collection is for the Make In India Initiative showcased last year. She worked with indigenous kanjeevaram, kalamkari and banarasi to create lehengas, jackets and dhoti pants.

She has also set up her own institute, The Whistling Woods- Neeta Lulla’s School of Fashion in 2014 in collaboration with director Subhash Ghai.

Zuhair Murad

Another Lebanese designer known for something entirely different from his fellow countrymen, Zuhair Murad blends romanticism and clean cuts in a deliciously unique way. Rightly referred to as couturier extraordinaire, Zuhair started out with an atelier in Beirut. He put himself on the global fashion map when he showcased his collection at Paris Haute Couture fashion week in 2001. Little did he know that he would manage to land himself on every A-lister’s speed dial for a red-carpet appearance.

Celebrated for his attention to detail, he melds both European and Middle Eastern sensibilities to his whimsical designs. Luxurious and feminine in equal parts, he draws inspiration from his Lebanese heritage, people and cities that play a strong role in his designs. His forte however, is his fierce use of intricate embellishments, embroidery, detailed hand beading and appliqué with interplay of opulent fabrics. Often seen playing with velvet, tulle and organza, his execution results in strong silhouettes.

A single Zuhair original can take anywhere from 300 to 1,000 hours of handwork. The outcome? Ethereal gowns as though straight out of a Disney movie. Princess Sofia Hellqvist to Miley Cyrus, Zuhair has a great fan following.

Suneet Varma

A graduate from the London School of Fashion, specialising in costume history, Suneet Varma has worked with couturier Yves Saint Laurent in the past. His costumes (for film Kites) were nominated for the Oscars. Working with Judith Leiber, he designed Empress, a bejewelled bag that marked the bag brand’s 50th anniversary in 2013. Carving a niche for himself, his collections are unveiled every year at the Vendôme Fair in Paris. His classics have been carried by Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City, as well as Mariah Carey and Jennifer Lopez. His focus and dedication has seen no boundaries, even as he went on to be appointed as a partner for Armani Junior in India.

His design sensibility is enough to dazzle everyone. His Shining Star line showcased at India Couture Week 2017 was inspired by old Hollywood glamour and old techniques of Indian crafts and embellishments. The collection was a blend of hand-cut mirror work and crystals.

He also created the world’s longest sari, which was an unbelievable 55 metres long. Sweet Surprise, as it was called, was created after 10 weeks of hard work, inspiration for which came from mythological character from Mahabharata, Draupadi. He is, on top of all of this, a design consultant with brands like Donna Karan, Calvin Klein, Carolina Herrera and Nicole Miller.

From the December 2017 issue of L’Officiel India.