The Raghavendra Rathore outfits on Diti Saha and Mohammed Iqbal spelt royal charm. Iqbal wore a maroon cotton velvet jacket with silver handcrafted buttons paired with off-white cotton chino slim breeches. Diti looked striking in the deep wine silk velvet jacket with antique gold embroidery paired with a silk organza gown. “Classic with a twist of Indian heritage,” is how Rathore described his designs. Diti’s hair and make-up was kept minimal with a statement polki neckpiece to accessorise the look.

Diti looked pretty in this Payal Singhal ensemble — a stone-studded organza ruffle top with a printed brown velvet bustier and a multicoloured floral-printed velvet cropped skirt with silver embellishment detailing, perfect for a brunch. Pink-peach shades, polki studs and soft, open curls completed the look.

Iqbal looked dapper in a fine velvet cherry and black Vice Marshal colour-block bandhgala designed with faux leather detailing and accessorised with a belt, all from S&N by Shantanu and Nikhil. “This colour-blocked bandhgala is an all-time perfect sartorial choice for every millennial man for an occasional evening. The new-age faux leather detailing redefines this traditional ensemble with a modern touch,” said Shantanu and Nikhil.

An ideal morning look, Mohammed Iqbal looked suave in this Payal Singhal colour-splashed ikat love-print velvet bundi worn with white ikat love-print silk mul kurta and churidar.

Diti looked party-ready in this cocktail dress from Komal Sood, designed with geometric linear graphic pattern on the body along with a patchwork stitch detail of teal blue lycra velvet and nude lycra net embellished with gold bugle crystals. Simple and straight hair, glitter eyes and diamond studs with a finger ring accessorised the look.

Diti looked uber chic in these dhoti-style velvet pants with front pockets and gold khadi dot design all over, paired with a satin grey-and-black top with wrap -style detailing in the front, designed with embroidery work and atima-print embroidery, from Label Ritu Kumar. “The jamawar-print design has given the top a luxurious feel. It has a very rich old fabric look. This was our look for this winter,” said Ritu Kumar. Diamond danglers, a finger-textured ponytail and accentuated lips and eyes in shade of brown and black completed the neat look.

Pictures: Pabitra Das

Models: Diti Saha and Mohammed Iqbal; Styling: Ankita Banerjee

Hair and make-up: Bhaskar Biswas and Koyel Podder; Jewellery: Sawansukha Jewellers; Location: Hyatt Regency

Designer speak

As a brand we’ve been working with velvets and woollen blended fine suiting fabrics for a very long time. Velvet always brings in luxury and clean cuts to a silhouette — Shantanu and Nikhil Mehra

We have been using velvet consistently. We have paired it with other fabrics like Chanderi, organza, silk, mul. We’ve also incorporated velvet in our bomber jackets, joggers, kurtas, kaftans. Velvet pops right out everywhere as soon as the air gets chilly. But unlike other fashion trends, velvet doesn’t tire. There’s always a new way to wear it, a new item that can be made from it. Velvet for me is one of the most sophisticated fabrics that elevates any look. Our prints on velvet bring out the shine and lustre of the fabric —Payal Singhal

It is the ideal material that exudes regal elegance, old-world finesse and charm, luxury, formality and definition. The richness in texture surpasses all elements of design and gives a distinct appeal to an attire instantly. The velvet bandhgala collection by the brand spreads across menswear and womenswear. A variety of tuxedos, bandhgalas, western jackets, dinner jackets silhouettes is what our velvet collection comprises of. Velvet is definitely a winter staple for one’s eveningwear wardrobe and has effortless exuberance and lustre to it that is unmatchable — Raghavendra Rathore

Every winter we use velvet for the seasonal fashion requirement. In India, we don’t have a very chilly winter so this works very well. It has always been associated with clothing for royalty for formal occasions. This year we have focused on the jamawar story of cashmere through the shawls we recreated in velvet. The good part is one does not need to use too much embroidery on it because the textile itself is very rich. People now don’t want too much embroidery even for their bridal outfits so they are opting for velvet —Ritu Kumar

We are an occasionwear brand and we associate closely with the luxe velvet fabric for our winter collections for its classic richness and versatility. For Indianwear, the ultimate luxury is to use silk velvet with placed embellishment in sari blouses, draped veils and borders. In western silhouettes of cocktail dresses, gowns and suits we gravitate towards crafting with lycra blends to lend movement and comfort to the structured garment — Komal Sood

We have been making iconic velvet bandhgalas, Indo-westerns and tuxedos for the longest time. We love to offer silk velvet as occasionwear for the glamorous touch of the fabric. For casual looks, we tend to use a high quality cotton velvet —Ratul Sood

“Velvet is rich, dynamic, versatile and adds a touch of royalty to the ensemble. It goes well with every body type. The Payal Singhal outfits are fun and flirty, so we did an effortless look. People always think velvet is about dark colours but these prints changed that notion. The Ritu Kumar outfit is an Indo-western style in velvet. The cross-bodied wrap-around top is a smart look and is wearable for various occasions.The Ratul Sood tuxedo is a little flashy but makes the mark with a bow tie, a formal look, but channels the mood for a starry night outing. Diti’s Komal Sood outfit is sexy and outgoing. It flatters the body and is a westernwear style in an amazing shade. We tried a simple look for the Shantanu & Nikhil outfit as the jacket with the belt says it all. The colour combination of Raghavendra Rathore outfits were on point. We ditched the typical lehnga-choli look and paired it with a jacket instead. Iqbal’s white trouser complemented the frame,” said stylist - Ankita Banerjee.