Ever wondered what comes out of a night of cocktails and conversations with your girl pals? For long-time friends and collaborators, Masaba Gupta and Rhea Kapoor, it was what sparked the idea for their trousseau collection, The Chronicles of Femininity.
While the two have been candidly vocal about their views on feminism and body positivity, the collection puts into sartorial terms their shared ideologies.
“This collection was born from a night of gin cocktails, WhatsApp conversations and the revelation that we need to create something for girls like us. Girls who aren’t afraid to flaunt their sexuality and femininity, no matter what their body type,” offers Gupta.
Icon living
Inspired in part by Neena Gupta’s look from the 1983 classic, Mandi, the limited edition collection is an ode to the sensuous charm of Gupta’s mother’s character in the movie, as well as icons of the late-’90s like Dimple Kapadia, Parveen Babi, Naomi Campbell and John Galliano. “Rhea and I have always created interesting looks for Sonam together, and I always run my ideas through her.
While the House of Masaba has never shied away from experimenting, Rhea pointed out that we had never done a very feminine and dainty collection. The Chronicles of Femininity presents this aspect,” she says.
Consisting of holographic rose prints (reminiscent of Neena’s costumes in Mandi), delicate daisies, old-school handwritten love notes also served as inspiration for the 15-piece line.
Placing these retro-styled prints on to bolder, modern-day silhouettes, the collection features tie-up blouses, dhoti skirts, concept saris made from organza paired with lace blouses to lehengas with blazers in a predominantly pastel colour palette.
Pin-up
Apart from the ensembles, the collection also offers a quirky revamp of a basic accessory – the safety pin, by converting it into a statement brooch, encrusted with pearls. “Whether it’s saving us from a sari drape meltdown, or holding a bra strap in place, safety pins have been the tiny knights in shining armour of the Indian household for decades now,” reasons the designer.
Trail-blazers
On their pick of favourites, though Sonam Kapoor was spotted in the Lost Letters printed lehenga from the collection, both Rhea and Gupta choose the black blazer with a bustier, paired with a tailored dhoti skirt. “It’s like wearing your dad’s jacket, but with a hint of sexy. The ensemble suits women who fall anywhere on the size chart,” says Rhea Kapoor.
Collection starts at Rs 10,000.
At the House of Masaba