PIX: Jaqueline, Esha, Sidharth catwalk for Manish Malhotra

Manish Malhotra's WLIFW collection celebrated the magic and heritage of the Phulkari embroidery from his native state.

With upcoming actors Esha Gupta, Sidharth Malhotra and Jacqueline Fernandez for company on the ramp, Bollywood's favourite designer Manish Malhotra showcased his new Punjab-inspired collection on day three of Wills India Fashion Week in Delhi.

Titled 'Threads of Emotion', Manish celebrated the magic and heritage of the Phulkari embroidery from his native state in the collection.

Hit Punjabi songs - Jugni and Mast Kalandar played in the background as models sashayed down the runway, adding to the ambience of the show.

"My friend is a collector and I was inspired by some of the pieces that he showed me about Punjab. The Phulkari that I have used is dense. I have used in most of the garments as a whole. Phulkari embroidery, which is native to Punjab, is the heart of the collection.

"In a reinterpretation of traditional craftsmanship from modern approach, I have embellished the line in Phulkari work, which is a symbol of maternal love and faith along with 'Bagh' embroidery which is a very intense form of ancestral art," Manish said.

The designer, who recently showcased his chikankari collection at various shows in Dubai and London, said he wants to seriously promote Indian craft internationally.

"For the last two years, I have promoted Kashmir thread and zari work and chikankari work from Mizwan, a small village in UP. The idea has been to focus on craftsmanship and showcase it at various fashion weeks by roping in celebrities, thus making it more popular and in turn influencing more people to wear these handicraft pieces," he said.

The collection reflects modern India, its rich heritage and its depth of emotions.

Manish's label is synonymous with opulent, contemporary Indian wear.

The collection also featured sarees, anarkalis, floor length anarkalis and angrakhas.

The prime fabrics used were georgette, net, raw silk and a lot of texture work.

For men there were bandhgalas, salwars teamed with colourful turbans and embroidered shawls.

Manish has spun together the weaves of Phulkari into his signature styles in autumn colours like rich mustard yellow, navy blue, deep rust, earthy olive and intense red.

Dressed in a black bandhgala with embroidered collar and white patiala, Sidharth Malhotra, who made his Bollywood debut with last year's film Student of the Year said, "I am back on the ramp after a gap of three years. I have already worked with Manish in my first film 'Student of the Year'. I felt great to work with him again because he makes us feel so comfortable."

Delhi girl Esha Gupta, who has previously walked for the designer as a model, said that she had a great time on the ramp as a showstopper. 

"I have walked the ramp for him as a model but working with Manish as a celebrity was a completely different and overwhelming experience," said Esha, who wore a black net embroidered saree with a heavy red underskirt.

Jacqueline rocked a fully embroidered colourful long jacket teamed with white and orange lehenga as she sashayed own the runway.

When asked why he chose the three newcomers as showstoppers over his other celebrity friends in Bollywood, Manish said, "I chose the three of them because they are young, they are spunky and the phulkari work is also very vibrant and bright and fits them well. Also all these three -- Esha, Sidharth and Jacqueline, have been models and so I knew they were the best choice for me."