Dubai Fashion Week saved its most glamorous moment for last, and this season it delivered beautifully. On the closing night, the 26th of October, Tarun Tahiliani, one of India’s most celebrated couturiers, offered the city a first look at what awaits at his upcoming Jumeirah Boutique.
“The Many Moods of TT” traced three decades of design across roughly 70 models, flowing through occasion wear, bridal, couture, menswear and OTT, the house’s luxury prêt line. It began with an audiovisual film narrated in his own voice, grounding the evening in India’s rich design heritage: the art of draping, the detail of handwork embroidery and the discipline of tailoring.
As Emirates Woman goes behind the scenes at Dubai Fashion Week for a quick chat with Tarun Tahiliani, he talks about the inspiration behind the collection and the new boutique opening in Jumeirah.
Designer Tarun Tahiliani with the showstopper and Lebanese singer Maya Diab
If you had to describe “The Many Moods of TT” in three words, what would they be?
Sultry, sensual and the caress.
Which piece in tonight’s show would you take home first?
Well, from what I said, it has to be something that’s wrapped and draped and tucked and clinched and more. And there are many such pieces, but I was looking at the fitting images, and on this beautiful African model, there’s a dull, burnished gold jersey, a metallic jersey, draped on that skin; it just looks insane.
Which Gulf tradition has influenced your work most, and where does the Islamic embroidery from India Modern come from for you?
I start by showing images, and I say that Hinduism did beautiful textiles. We draped fabrics, and really, after Islam came in a big way in India from Central Asia; a lot of the embroideries that Zardozi, Kora, Dhapka, and even Chikankari are attributed to are from Noor Jahan, who was married to one of the Mughal emperors. So, basically, what we’ve done is we, with Arab dress, you know, I feel that people have got into fitness and being so skinny so much that I don’t even find it attractive anymore. I mean, I think people’s beautiful dresses can be sensual if things are left to the imagination. Not if you cover this much and say, ‘Here, I’ve got a six-pack.’ I don’t think that’s sensual at all.
And that’s certainly not the Eastern idea of sensuality. And because traditionally the Arab world has been more conservative, and Islam does favour much more modest fashion than many other religions. You know, because in Hinduism, there are people who don’t wear cholis, and it’s fine. It’s part of that culture. I find that there’s almost a severity to it. And when we used to land at the airport before we were all on golden visas, there’d be these Arab women sitting with their heads wrapped like those old Rabindranath Tagore paintings and these beautiful eyes and lips. I always found it like resting and riveting. And the face really stood out. So there’s something; I’ve always thought it’s very beautiful and sensual.
What is the one fabric you could never give up?
Lamé with a bit of stretch, silk chiffon and my new discovery, which I’m ending the show with, which I call an homage to the Arabian woman. Because we’ve done these kinds of coats that are based on the abaya, but I’m also not sure what they are. And they are done in a new fabric I’ve just had made in China, which is beautiful, which is half silk and half wool. So it has the sheen of silk and the drape and the fall of wool and the ability to tailor.
Who in Dubai would you most like to see wearing Tarun Tahiliani?
I’ve had some very chic women for years who wore Tarun Tehlani. We’ve had Farzin Allana, the whole Allana family we’ve dressed for years. And there are many such elegant, beautiful women here, but I can’t start to name them all. There are plenty.
What are you most excited about for the Jumeirah Boutiques?
I want people to see and experience India modern. I think that I’ve seen many Indian exhibitions here, and they happen in this sort of very Indian way, shall I say. I think they’re going to be exposed, and I hope that the show does it to what is a global Indian. You know, India is a very different country today than it was 30 years back, 50 years back. The whole world came to India because of the luxury in India, right? That’s why the British came.
That’s why the Dutch came, or the Portuguese and everybody. And then, because the Indians had become so decadent on their own luxury, it was easy for them to conquer and rule them. And then we got completely emaciated, and we were a very poor country after independence. That’s why we had to go to socialism. But the real love of luxury belongs to the Indian psyche. I mean, is there anything like an Indian wedding? Have you ever seen jewels worn like Indians or textiles? So, as India’s gone up the economic curve, I mean, it’s all back. And I think that a lot of people have a kind of notion of India from the past or Bollywood, which I don’t think is fully relevant. It’s a bit fantasy-like. And I always say when I’m talking about America, now it’s time to put the tiger and Maharaja to bed. Done. We’re done with that. There’s a new bristling India. And I want this boutique to show people these different moods that India represents. That’s wonderful. I’m so inspired by what you said.
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