She walked in like fine wine and made heads turn. This was Malaika Arora walking the ramp for Suneet Varma’s collection in Bengaluru recently. Varma and Arora were in the city for a show, held during the launch of Mansionz Bengaluru, a store that curates a wide collection of spirits and beverages.
For the event, Varma specially curated a collection that was inspired by art. From headgears with patterns from nature, his couture collection had every bit of drama. Arora, the showstopper, wore a champagne green gown adorned with shimmery sequins. The Chaiyya Chaiyya girl teamed it with a standout statement necklace that came bedecked with a shimmering gemstone in a different shade. The necklace complimented the look, without overpowering it, considering the innumerable embellishments on the gown.
Varma’s association with Arora goes back to over two decades. From wearing a Swarovski-embroidered blouse and sheer metallic pants to pearl-encrusted crochet blouse designed by the 58-year-old designer, Arora has been his muse on several occasions.
Not his first visit to the city, but Varma feels at home here as people ‘exude warmth and love’. “Bengaluru is one of my most favourite cities to visit. I adore the crowd which always gives me a very warm welcome,” says Varma. City-based fashion guru and Varma’s friend Prasad Bidapa, who directed the show, was also an integral part of the luxe event. “I wanted to explore Bengaluru as a market for my soon-to-be-launched luxury pret line — mostly evening separates that are young and sexy. It’s very much the ethos of my brand,” he says.
Varma’s collections have always spoken of style, grace and luxury and the current collection blended well with the theme of the beverage store. “I wanted the launch to make a big splash and figured what better way than to have a fashion show to go with the concept of our store. Of course, it had to be Malaika Arora and Suneet Varma for me. We wanted it to be classy and glamorous and both fit the bill perfectly,” says Moksh Sani, managing director, Mansionz by Living Liquidz.