Haute couture at the HDIL India Couture Week could easily be translated as Haute Drama. If it isn’t the almost theatrical ramp (complete with mirrors and enormous chandelier), it’s the action behind the scenes that grips and awes.

Despite the Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla row, however, the ICW managed to get off on the right foot with a fabulous jewellery show put together by Devaunshi Mehta, Maheep Kapoor, Queenie Dhody and Farah Khan. With A-listers like Karan Johar, Hrithik Roshan, Dimple Kapadia, Avanti Birla, Sheetal Mafatlal, Ramona Narang and Zayed Khan in the front rows and 18-karat stunners on the catwalk, the show got a huge hand from the house.

Diamonds are a joallier’s best friend and they ruled the ramp here. First lady of Indian jewellery, Mehta, stuck to her favourite combination of diamonds and emeralds in intricate earrings and necklaces. The purported piece de resistance, a white gold handbag studded with diamonds, however failed to catch our fancy—a bit too bling-y even for Beyonce. Kapoor’s chunky but tasteful art deco pieces were almost overshadowed by Anna Singh’s poorly crafted gowns. The designer was joined for her bow out by husband, actor Sanjay Kapoor.

The shutterbugs went crazy even as friends Raveena Tandon, Twinkle Khanna, Tania Deol and Anu Dewan cheered and clapped. Khan’s show was the most well put together—the feminine Cascades collection, replete with precious and semi-precious stones in fluid designs, was wonderfully supported by uber sexy Gauri and Nainika cocktail dresses and bondage heels. The front row erupted in catcalls and hoots when a nervous looking Susanne Roshan walked down the ramp wearing a multi-strand knotted diamond necklace and exchanged glances with her superstar husband, Hrithik Roshan. Malaika Khan, Zarine Khan and Dia Mirza all wore jewellery by Farah Khan.

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