Malaika pulled out of Phadnis' Pune show at the last minute

Pune, Nov 20 (IANS) Celebrated designer Vikram Phadnis was forced to make last-minute changes when his showstopper, actress Malaika Arora Khan, failed to make it for his show at the Pune Fashion Week (PFW).

'Malaika was supposed to be here but at the last moment she was caught up in Delhi for a prior commitment. She is a very dear friend of mine and if not today, she will walk for me some other time for sure,' Vikram told IANS.

The news that Malaika would be on the Thursday show was all over the place, and so the audience was shocked when she did not make an appearance.

In the past, Vikram's shows have often witnessed celebrity showstoppers like Sameera Reddy, Sushmita Sen, Celina Jaitley, Amrita Rao and Amisha Patel among others.

But despite the last-minute hitch, Vikram's show turned out to be a grand affair. The couture show started with his collection in black colour and models walked down the ramp flaunting long dresses, saris and anarkali suits. He used materials like velvet, chiffon, net and crepe and it looked beautiful with gold zari work.

In the second round, a deluge of colour was splashed on the ramp with models sashaying in different kinds of traditional and semi-traditional garments. Silk was predominantly used for this.

Vikram's collection had designs for men too. Sherwanis with gold work were showcased by male models. Colours like maroon, off-white, rust, blue and even light pink were used in the garments.

'My collection was India through my eyes. It was all about everything that I get inspired by in this country. From films like 'Mughal-E-Azam' and 'Umrao Jaan' to places in Rajasthan,' said Vikram.

The designer's collection had a few shades of his previous shows. When asked him about the similarity, he explained: 'It is not always necessary for designers to change everything about their collections. Certain things are a designer's forte and he likes retaining that in almost every collection.'

'I love subtle cut works, so I like using those elements often in my shows,' he added.