Punit Balana’s love for his home state is apparent at his Jaipur atelier, where he reinterprets and reworks classic Rajasthani crafts and art onto stunning ensembles. Once again, to the ramp of Lakme Fashion Week, the designer brought a piece of Jaipur’s Johri Bazaar, with actress Sobhita Dhulipala turning muse for Balana in a stunning embroidered lehenga.
On day 4, Balana transformed the atelier into a mini-Johri Bazaar; candy sellers and a live singer set the scene as models strolled by, admiring the trinkets and baubles in a ramp that was both casual and immersive. Gurfateh Pirzada opened the show, dressed in a festive sage green and pink kurta. On Sobhita, who made for the perfect showstopper, a dark sage green embroidered lehenga looked resplendent, coupled with a tiny choli and dupatta. She kept her hair slick and straight, with a pair of earrings and a choker to complete her look.
For his latest collection, Punit Balana took puppets, carved wooden blocks, and ornate Mughal designs and reworked them into colourful ensembles, with chandbalis and decorative jharokhas serving as the focal point of his collection. Rajasthan, which is synonymous with jewel tones, was also the inspiration for the collection’s colour palette. Think quintessential gulaabi gulaal, and social media favourite – baingani – with elaborate jewellery uplifting the lehenga-choli sets, as well as embellished kurtas both for men and women.
On what was the starting point of the collection, Balana had told her in an interview, “I often find myself wandering through Johari Bazaar, a place that's as familiar to me as my own skin. The old city of Jaipur has a timeless charm that keeps pulling me back, like an unspoken bond. There are a few local eateries I frequent, spots where the food always delights me. Typically, these outings feel routine, a comforting part of my life. But this one particular evening felt different—like something had shifted in the air. The energies around me were charged, and my mood heightened. Johari Bazaar, a place I thought I knew so well, appeared in a whole new light. It wasn’t that something specific stood out, but rather that everything seemed to glow with a newfound vibrance because, for once, I was truly paying attention to the beauty that had always been there.”
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