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Regal elegance with a sparkle
By Nedra Wickremesinghe
The Wadiyars of the Royal House of Mysore unveiled the Royal Silks of Mysore at the Colombo Plaza amidst Colombo's fashion conscious society. Adding a regal touch was the Maharaja of Mysore, Sri Srikantha Datta Narasimharaja Wadiyar himself.

Indian models took the ramp modelling the elegant sarees, the fashions interspersed with modern dance sequences to the beat of rap and fusion music. What was significant about this collection was that each segment saw a different theme with designs and motifs symbolizing various aspects of the Hindu philosophy.

The hansa or the swan symbolizes the ultimate state of equanimity. The novel idea of taking these designs in different forms and making them more aesthetically appealing to connoisseurs of Indian art by incorporating them into the sarees is largely due to the creativity of the Maharajah.

The first segment saw the 2004/2005 autumn and winter collection consisting of georgette/crepe and soft silks of Mysore with the Gandaberunda motif. This was followed by the 2004/2005 autumn/winter collection of bridal and fusion wear. The Rajasthani and Gujarati bridal collection made up of silk chiffons were heavily encrusted with Zardosi. Although the latest velvet sarees appeared heavy they draped smoothly when worn.

The third segment was the 2004/2005 spring and summer collection depicting the Satranga (seven colours), Asthranga (eight colours), Navaranga (nine colours) and the single and twin shades (these colours inspired by the courts of Moghul rulers).

The soft chiffons gently fused with a potpourri of shades were worn with exotic brocade corsets held back only by criss- cross strings. Mesh scarves draped on one shoulder and broad hipster chains were the two obvious accents for sarees for 2005.

Pashminas in different shades and shapes were draped along with the saree either around the neck or on one shoulder for a more western touch. The fitting finale was the breathtaking 2004 collection by Vogue Jewellers, aptly titled 'The Royal Collection'. Rich yet contemporary in style and exquisitely crafted, it added sparkle to the show.

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