Archana Kochhar brought the Beauty Of Rajasthan On The Ramp With Her “Chokhi” Collection at Lakme Fashion Week

The collection was reminiscent of the beautiful creations worn by the gorgeous women in their havelis of Rajasthan. “Chokhi” by Archana Kochhar recreated the ensembles of those glorious eras at Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2013.

Inspired by the colours, earthy prints like images of forts and twirling moustaches, shisha embroidery of the State, the designer brought these in a contemporary mode with acrylic cutouts and Rajasthani motifs. The colour palette had a rich offering of kesari orange, haldi yellow and burnt maroon, reflecting the glory of the vibrant region.

The silhouettes from the “Chokhi” range had modern touches as printed sheer shirt kurtas and layered tunics were teamed with matching leggings or loose but fitted Patiala pants. For a more formal look, saris, shararas and lehengas lavishly embellished with acrylic mirror work, zardosi, metal studs and wool added to the rustic beauty of the collection.

Fabrics were easy on the eye and fluid with satin, velvet, tulle, jersey, silk giving the creations a moulded or fluid silhouette.

Opening the show with a kesari shirt tunic that had an elephant print, Archana gave many options for women’s wear. Sari with mustache prints on kalis, wide salwars with kesari asymmetric kurta, tiny bolero for a pre-stitched sari; zig-zag prints for pants under sheer maroon net lehenga and a brown shaded printed sari with long sleeve peplum blouse were eye-catchers.

Egg shaped kaftan, dhoti with a long kurta sporting the fort prints, black printed skirt worn with a crinoline and tiny shaded bolero were kept within the theme. Interesting experiments were the wide glittering belt attached to choli, which clasped a sari at the waist and another pre-stitched sari gown attached to the choli. 

The shisha embroidery was lavishly used for lehengas, shrugs, and waistcoats.

Men’s wear followed the inspiration and had an interesting blend of shirt kurtas and partially digital printed jackets worn with trousers. Bundies were vibrant in colour, while the dhoti was a stylish ethnic addition. For a slightly formal look, shaded orange/yellow jackets, silk waist coats, jackets with mirror work lapels and sherwani with Jodhpuri pants added some diversion from the basic looks.

Bringing the grandeur of desert style into their wardrobes, men and women will love the options offered by Archana Kochhar with her “Chokhi” collection.