IN PICS: Dramatic bridalwear by Shantanu-Nikhil

Floor sweeping lehengas, figure-hugging mermaid dresses and dramatic anarkalis -- designers Shantanu and Nikhil showed their bridal line at the India Bridal Fashion Week.

Feminine, chic and contemporary, Shantanu-Nikhil’s bridal line, To Die For, was in many ways an extension of their previous collection featured at the Lakme Fashion Week earlier this year (see it here).

With clean and defined silhouettes and the colour palette hovering around muted shades and dull gold, barring the occasional bright red and the stark black, the collection attempted to bring together contemporary western and traditional Indian sensibilities.

We begin with this dramatic skirt with gold floral embroidery work teamed with a bolero-style jacket with an ethnic touch.

Over the years, anarkalis have etched their place on fashion runways across the country and by the looks of it they will be here for a long, long time to come.

Candice Pinto takes a dramatic pause at the head of the runway in a figure-hugging black mermaid dress.

The bundh-collar black top stands in stark contrast to the earthy flowy skirt with a hint of gold embroidery at the hemline. While gold was the one of the uniting factors across outfits in the line, it never once took attention away from the exquisite outfits, always complementing it.

The gold leaf motif that also ran common through the line, is most pronounced in this intricate embroidery of this outfit.

Sucheta Sharma models a dull gold mermaid dress featuring the dull gold leaf motif all over.

The classic evening gown modelled here by former Miss India Manasvi Mamgai.

Sherwanis were the mainstay of Shantanu and Nikhil’s men’s collection, though the duo left their mark on the traditional garment.

Miss Canada Sahar Biniaz stopped the show for the designer duo.

Shantanu and Nikhil take a bow along with their showstopper Miss Canada, Sahar Biniaz and are flanked by Nethra Raghuraman (left) and Candice Pinto.