Shantanu and Nikhil 2012 Bridal Couture - A dress, a camera and a dialogue

" She had blue skin, And so did he. He kept it hid, And so did she. They searched for blue, their whole life through, then passed right by - and never knew " - Shel Silverstein.

Now you will wonder what this bit of philosophical poetry is doing on a style blog ... but fashion is in a sense an art of wearing masks ... when we started this blog, we were determined to feature non-model people in our posts .... and one of the things we realized is that people get immense satisfaction being groomed, styled and photographed as they are not in their personal lives ... out of shyness and reticence ... all of a sudden emerges this beautiful butterfly out of their cocoon of everyday living .... the transformation is miraculous not because of the extra props, but because all of a sudden these friends, neighbors, colleagues and acquaintances tell you in bits and pieces about the best part of them ... some love their hands, some their eyes, some their smiles, hair, feet, legs, skin, pout, shape ... they literally put their best foot forward ... and it is so heart warming and affirming for us .... because we learn to see them through their eyes in all their amazing possibilities!!! Its another new year, and this is our first post of this year, we would like to thank you wonderful people for being on this journey with us ...... we have come up with some exciting new ideas for the blog ..... today's post is a shoot we did with a dear friend Iram Mirza ... wearing a Shantanu and Nikhil 2012 Bridal Couture gown .... stay with us, enjoy the post and wish you all a very happy 2013 :)

A Dress, a Camera and a Dialogue

Speak from your heart they said,

But really,

There's a thousand voices within

That abuse my poor tongue to speak,

I prefer showing you my heart,

If you would prefer to look.

I am from the third rock

From the left hand of your Milky Way,

I am not even a circle complete,

Life has flattened me in some places,

and You ask why i tilt on my axis ?

Holding my pose i gaze,

Not towards,

Not away ..

I am busy arranging my nose and lips in profile,

Objects in the mirror are closer than they appear,

I must remember.

I effort to look good

And you effortlessly ask for a definition.

What do i know how you want me framed,

I can see me, can you ?

Spread the skirt,

Peak your knee when you cross your legs,

Now why did you say that ?

My knee is pushing proud beneath the blue,

Little does it know

Everybody is seeing something else.

You gave me two solitaires

And then locked them up to keep them safe,

Thank God I am a blue rose and a pink butterfly,

I am of no use to robbers and thieves.

I raise a toast to you,

Wine in yours,

A flame in mine.

I am bothersome i agree,

You cannot know if i am half full or half empty by common standards.

Sometimes i dress up so well,

In pretty blue gowns that make you so proud,

And i will never tell you

That my heart shivers in the cold,

I know you like me looking pretty as a picture.

String the fairy lights.

It is important to gild the cover 

of the nobody-knows part of me.

I too will watch,

Impressed,

Like the rest of you.

When i lean

my shoulders try to follow.

But i have taught them well,

you will see,

I have told them that there is no such thing

as leaning forever.

I smile but you tell me no.

That is not how i should look.

I understand,

some people collect bird cages with no birds in them.

I can twist myself,

like any other.

I can sway to your ways,

like you know.

But what i cannot

Is fall into your arms,

Your gravity is curiouser and curiouser.

I see me standing tall

and it's enough.

I am hiding the moon you say ...

But how will you see me even with the sun

if you can't see me in the dark ?

Model : Iram Mirza
Gown : Shantanu and Nikhil ( http://www.shantanunikhil.com/ ) ( Shantanu Nikhil Facebook )
Photography/ Art Direction : Shima Ahmad
Poetry/ Make up/ Styling : Dimpy Kapur

The above featured gown is from designer duo Shantanu and Nikhil's 2012 Bridal couture collection shown at Aamby Valley India Bridal Fashion Week 2012 and called Romantic Renaissance .... the name is very apt ... their style has always been vintage served with contemporary twists ... if you ever wanted to be a Cinderella bride, these masters are the ones for you ... do check out their website for the finest serving of French Chantilly lace, ruffled petticoats, flounces in silk satin and organza, layers of tulle and chiffon constructed with the most flattering drapes in confections of colours to make every fairy tale wedding come true ... every piece of the collection is to die for ... oh how we wish they had their couture show in Delhi .... but anyway ... we are truly grateful and honored to style and shoot this breathtakingly beautiful romance in blue !! Do leave us a comment if you pass by .... until next time ... love :)

DS