Ritu Kumar kickstarts second Kolkata Fashion Week

The second season of Kolkata Fashion Week II had a gala opening Wednesday evening with Ritu Kumar's couture collection.

"It's a celebration of forty years of the Ritu Kumar label...my collection is a tribute to the craftsmen of West Bengal," Kumar said after the show.

Kumar's Show started with the Mughal period to the slave dynasty, tracing Indian history with saris and unstitched dresses and concluding with modern Indian and bridal wear.

"We have the best craftsmen in the whole world in West Bengal... they are my inspiration."

"I used a lot of abstract paintings in the 'Modern India' section. I did the Assam paintings on the clothes myself," Kumar said.

"My clothes mainly define the young generation and something that is multi-dimentional," she concluded.

Despite the distinctly Indian feel, the garments had an international appeal -- take this lovely gown, for instance.

Brazilian model Giselle Monteiro, who played Harleen Kaur in the Bollywood film Love Aaj Kal was the showstopper for Ritu's show.