Backstage with Sabyasachi at 25: On the prowl for global markets

Mumbai's corporate Jio World Convention Centre transformed into the decadent world of Sabyasachi for the designer's first physical showcase in five years. Every inch of the carefully styled room was covered in ornate motifs featuring animals and flowers from India, along with a mile-long grazing table that served everything from French pastry and chimichurri butter to Japanese dark chocolate and indulgent fruit displays.

The man himself, Sabyasachi Mukherjee, stands in a striking sweatshirt from the new collection featuring the brand's bold Bengal tiger logo.

While the outside room was decked in glamour and maximalism, signature to the brand, the inner show area featured a simple street set meant to recreate middle-class Calcutta, complete with decaying mint facades and everyday clothes drying on their balconies. In these campaign images, the collection's looks are shot amid quintessential Calcutta.

"Calcutta, a city of patina—where the grandest buildings lie crumbling to the reality of decay, where stories of the rambunctious red-light area of Sonagachi, the sinewy pimps of Kamathipura, the effervescence of marigolds in Mallick Ghat co-exist under the hypnotic and ever-watchful eyes of Goddess Kali—is my ultimate inspiration," Mukherjee says. "As a Bengali, I've had access to this excellent mixing of hedonism with the sophistication of culture. This is the environment I grew up in. It has shaped my consciousness."

The collection, which featured a staggering 155 looks, had a comprehensive selection of menswear with sharp tailoring and oversized accessories.

Sumptuous, modern statement looks, embroidered on velvet, will likely look to find their way to cocktail bars in Paris or New York. "I believe we are moving into a new generation of consumers who will appreciate unique handmade products while valuing wearability and long-term usage," he says.

Winterwear dominated the runway, styled with touches of Sabyasachi embellishments. Women could choose from a wide range of options, from global silhouettes of shorts, skirts and billowing tops, to fewer looks styled as entirely ethnic Indian; actors Alia Bhatt and Ananya Panday attend the show in two starkly different looks from the collection.

While Sabyasachi's signature glamour sometimes peeked through accessories or smaller elements, a large part of the collection was in neutral tones, perhaps devised as decadent separates—in an unseen avatar for the maximalist couturier.

"A lot of what you see on the runway isn't fabric; it is pure embroidery," Mukherjee says. "The clothes can be extremely deceptive. For instance, some garments look like tweed but they are not. They are embroideries in two layers that mimic tweed. Instead of focusing on volume, we prioritise quality and the slight of the hand. We have created ready-to-wear pieces with the spirit of couture."

Actor Deepika Padukone and supermodel Christy Turlington played showstoppers in yin-and-yang outfits. Both can be seen in monotone looks, accentuated by layers of high jewellery and other accessories, referencing Frida Kahlo's headband, Madonna's crucifix, and so on.

Mukherjee says he's betting big on his jewellery line, which has seen marked interest from markets such as the US and the Middle East.

Sabyasachi's first show in five years drew in an illustrious crowd, from the business elite to Bollywood's leading ladies. Here, he is seen with Kumar Mangalam Birla, whose company, Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail, has acquired a 51 percent stake in Sabyasachi's brand; Bollywood actor Sonam Kapoor Ahuja is seen in a dramatic feathered ensemble from the couture label.