Dimple Kapadia’s Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla jacket reimagines bandhani through hyper-real embroidery
Dimple Kapadia, one of the most media-reclusive talents, rarely makes public appearances. But when she does, she makes the news for the right reasons. The allure of watching The Odyssey in the presence of filmmaker Christopher Nolan and actors Matt Damon and Tom Holland—who were present in Mumbai for a special screening ahead of the movie’s global release—didn’t elude the elusive actor either, much like most of us. Kapadia’s attendance at the premiere made headlines when the actor arrived wearing a custom look from her friends and longtime collaborators Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla’s couture label.
A floor-length jacket, a draped sarong skirt and a quilted vest made up the three-parts custom look. The black full-sleeve jacket, crafted with the lightweight Chamois satin fabric, featured textured patterns made of diminutive squares, hand-embroidered to give the illusion of bandhani—elevating simple tie-and-dye to couture levels. A similar technique was showcased in the designer duo’s line of Byzantine era-inspired bags where fabric and embroidery mimicked chunky gold beads otherwise used to decorate accessories. The jacket’s borders were lined with multicoloured resham thread work, embellished furthermore with zardozi, while the quilted waistcoat had geometric patterns handcrafted with thread, too. The bohemian slant of the look was further accentuated with the actor’s jewellery choices.
A marvellous XXL pendant encasing an open eye in a round pendant set in diamond pave and rubies was central to accessorising this look. Called the Talismati pendant, it’s an interpretation of Lord Shiva’s third eye. She also wore solid gold hoop earrings christened Taweez with a stack of thick gold bangles. She completed the look with a sequin envelope bag where embellishments were manipulated to model after Gujarat’s patola-inspired patterns.
Unbeknownst to many, Kapadia has been a muse and collaborator of Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla’s for over 30 years. Even when androgyny was not all the rage like it is today, Kapadia made headlines in a men’s brocade sherwani with churidar pants in 1989. She has been wearing and supporting the designer duo since. Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla has also been a label ahead of its time, looking at crafts from not only a revivalist lens but also modernising them, making these apropos of the current times.
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