The soul and signature of the SHEHLA brand has always lain in its time-honoured craftsmanship and the creation of timeless handcrafted pieces including hand-printed textiles and even handmade buttons; a commitment that has remained unchanged for over two decades.
Shehla Chatoor said, “For the last two decades bridal couture has been a very important and major part of the SHEHLA brand. I have always seen bridals as a timeless investment. I view these artisanal pieces like items of jewellery which can be passed onto future generations as heirlooms.”
SHEHLA’s craftsmen and kaarigars have worked passionately and relentlessly to create the timeless ‘Aks’ bridal couture collection.
History has shown handcrafted mirror-work to have its origin in Persian traditions where it was believed to have been used to ward off evil spirits and a source of inspiration.
With this same ebullient impetus and spirit ‘ Aks’ has been painstakingly crafted with curated hand-spun fabrics including silk and cotton along with velvet, tulle, organza and organdie; using a rich and regal colour palette of ivory champas and gold dovetailed with magenta and plums; silver and champagne; sea-green and soft mint; black with gold, Kashmiri tea-pink and fuchsia, and a plethora of blacks and ivory amalgamations. These have been beautifully accented with intricate traditional hand-crafted mirror-work, gota, marori and zardozi painstakingly detailed motifs and embroideries that SHEHLA’s skilled team has recreated from historical museum references. Swarovski crystals and pearls are melded and added to further render Shehla Chatoor’s signature ethos.
These configurations are transposed onto a medley of couture silhouettes which have been reformed to render a more contemporary vibe and includes ethereal mukesh anarkalis; regal intricately-woven gota jackets and flowy lehengas. The accent of mirror-work speckled onto Dhaka pajamas, anarkalis and sculptural bustiers further adds a boho-chic yet luxe-glam vibe to the ‘Aks’ collection.
These perfected artisanal pieces are offset with utterly magnificent ruffled and pleated dupattas which cascade on sleeves and are a ‘lust-have’ for destination wedding trousseaus. Ruffles are also used on stoles, borders, sari pallus and blouse and shirt sleeves to render an air of au courant contemporary whimsy, fun and theatrics.
As a perfect accessory to the ‘Aks’ bridal couture pieces, SHEHLA adds bejewelled pouches and Old World batwas encrusted with handcrafted zardozi and mukesh with ornate pearl and kundan handles; and minaudière clutches crafted from velvet and age-old jamewaar accented with embellished tassels that speak volumes about a timeless elegance and are ideal for the upcoming season’s festivities.
‘ Aks’ also includes a presentation of elegant and majestic menswear pieces imbued with old school charm and includes sophisticated waistcoats and sherwanis in beige, ivory black, Kashmiri tea pink and non-traditional soft mint embellishment with stunning intricate Old World embroideries. A mint green and pale gold SHEHLA sherwani from the ‘Aks’ capsule is special enough for a bridegroom to don.
The menswear capsule is end-noted and highlighted with SHEHLA’s handcrafted and hand-embroidered menswear shoes which have been embellished with the finest samples of zardozi from the Shehla Chatoor archives.
Ambassador of Fashion 2019 L’Oréal Paris X- Shehla Chatoor tells us about her collaboration with L’Oréal Paris: “Staying true to the signature of our brand which is glamour and luxury, we’ve taken inspiration from the Excellence Crème Profound Ash Collection. The hair colour we’ve chosen compliments Pakistani skin tones, is trending currently yet is classic and elegant. As L'Oréal Paris’s Ambassador for Fashion 2019 I specially created three customized uber-luxurious, glamorous draped and flowing looks that reflect both SHEHLA’s own luxe-glam aesthetic and the triad of new shades introduced by L'Oréal Paris’s Excellence Crème Colour in collaboration with SHEHLA. My outfits all speak a story of luxury, glamour and confidence. Collaborating with Excellence Crème by L’Oréal Paris is the perfect coming together of beauty meets fashion. The inspiration behind Shehla Chatoor X Excellence Crème by L’Oréal Paris campaign is women taking ownership and control. Our designs at Shehla Chatoor are a celebration of women, in all their beauty and glory. L’Oréal Paris puts women at the centre because you’re all worth it! This campaign encourages you to believe in your beauty and own your colour.”