The invitation for the House of Jaipur’s Resortwear Collection showing at the Hyatt Regency on June 13 said there would be a 6 pm start, but at 6.25 pm it was announced that because of the late arrival of guests, the show would start in ten minutes. Really? What about those of us seated on time?
At 6.42 pm and with only about a dozen seats vacant, the show still had not started, leading one to speculate about whether there were production issues backstage.
The unnecessarily long introduction by MC Natacha Jones and the lull which persisted after the show’s opening music—nearly an hour late—cemented that thought.
Possible hiccups aside, the clothes were interesting. That it was a showing of resortwear, meant that construction would not be an issue—a presentation of kaftans in various cuts, some long, short, sweep sleeves, cold-shoulders and a variety of takes on the traditional kameez, is what was presented for the most part.
They came sheer, flowing in blends of polyester and viscose, there may have been some organza, cotton blends and pure Indian cottons. There was too, a smattering of silk. With the silhouettes limited, again because of the basic cuts, excitement was left to be found in the artwork; the applique, the embroidery and the beading.
Buttis patches artistically grouped to create beautiful ornate collars and necklines. It is this to which the eye was drawn time and time again. Kutchi work borders, Parshi and Banarsi borders added interest to fabrics that ranged from plain and sheer, to patterns reminiscent of the psychedelic 60s.
And while one was willing to get caught up in the beauty of the pieces, the sheer simplicity of cuts made outstanding by the mentioned additions, the artistic flow, or lack thereof in the presentation—one single model on the entire length of the catwalk at any given time, and the fact that the pieces were not presented in sections—made the collection appear random and insufficient.
But all in all, if you have a desire to wear something pretty the next time you head off the island for a long weekend, House of Jaipur should have something to suit your taste.
