Ram-Leela: Costume Spotlight

As a bit of a confessed Bollywood geek, I recently went to see Ram Leela, I had heard much hype surrounding this movie, the story was engaging, but the shining moment of this movie was the costume design and jaw dropping jewelry. With Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Anju Modi on hand as costume designer and Amrapali leading the way with stunning accessories it was match made in heaven. The stunning looks in this movie will be a source of huge style inspiration to any fashionista out there.

Throughout the movie we see the movies leading actress Deepika Padukone (Leela) dressed and draped in Gharga-Choli after Gharga- Choli, but who's complaining, when there as beautiful as the ones in the movie. The reasoning behind such a choice may solely have been to keep in tune with the theme of the film, but has left many yearning to get one in there wardrobes and wearing one as soon as possible. Now our confidence and aesthetic sensibilities may be weary of donning the ever so tiny, sultry backless numbers worn by Leela, but by all means take some inspiration, with longer blouses and more demure designs, the Gharga- Choli is a trend that certainly going to be more predominantly seen in the future.

The detailing on the blouses of these gharga cholis is the work of a genius, we saw a great mix of different embroideries and as a huge fan of any work of traditional origin, this was a feast for the eyes: patchwork, mirror, dabkha and zaari blended with classic banarsi materials were all used in tasteful abundance throughout the film.  These elegant and rich embroideries and material will also work beautifully on kameezs paired with either churidars or salwars; small accents of mirror work paired with classic silhouettes will also give you a Ram-Leela inspired look.

One of my favourite features in this movie was the use of a layered lehenga, which epitomises the modernised version of a traditional outfit, its been seen on the runway and is a feature that after seeing this movie, I cannot wait to see more of! Layered Lehengas not only add effortless volume but also add drama, interest, texture and colour to a classic look. Leela was seen sporting various different shapes and types of lehengas but my favourite was a red and white-layered lehenga (you can see an image below) during one of the many musical features. This is a technique that is easy to try and one that we shouldn't be afraid of! Stick with rich classic colours, like red, burgundy and greens for example and simple embroidery work if your trying this look for the first time, I think the saying, less is more takes precedent here!

Now I couldn't talk about Ram-Leela and not talk about the Jewelry, so last but by no means least, I just have to say that throughout this movie I was in awe of the jewelry, I was literally coveting every piece I saw, and I mean how could I not, with Amrapali on hand to compliment Anju Modi's wonderful creations. When I first heard that Amrapli has worked on this project I knew I was in for a treat, and I wasn't let down in the slightest. From the gorgeous rings to the practically iconic earrings worn by Leela and the regal necklaces seen, I wouldn't know where to start, but the key message here was clear, statement jewellery is a trend that is here to stay. The big Amrapali earrings worn by Leela are large and lavish in size and are gaining so much buzz on the Internet, and its not surprising why, and to me owing a large pair of earrings like these are a wardrobe staple. But be careful, there is such a thing as wearing too much jewelry, the basic rule here is, choose one statement piece and let that shine and choose simpler accessories that compliment that one statement piece. So if for example you choose a statement necklace, choose smaller earrings rather than large chunky ones that add to look rather than detract from it!

I would love to hear what you thought about the movie and more importantly the costumes! 

Take a look at a few of my favorite looks from the movie...

Amrapali's ring and earrings in this scene made a lasting impression! I only wish I owned them! 

Anju Modi layered a Red and White mulmul material to create a stunning lehenga... 

By far my favourite accessory of the film and therefore deserve a close up shot, these earrings are to amazing, classic in design and demonstrate perfectly how to wear statement jewellery...