ITRH To Make International Runway Debut at Dubai Fashion Week

Making India proud and taking their maximal craft global with their newest couture collection – Natak, ITRH is all set to make a dramatic statement with its first international runway showcase at the prestigious Dubai Fashion Week 2024.

Exploring the middle east and introducing the world of ITRH to Dubai, fashion designer Ridhi Bansal and creative director and celebrity Mohit Rai, are showcasing 31 couture designs on the runway.

Dramatic yet gentle, bold yet romantic, Natak is a celebration of contrasts. The showcase will be a striking interplay of volume, texture and colour, while playing reverent to the majestic world of Indian theatre.

“We are thrilled and excited about this show. It is our first international debut and hopefully, first of many. The whole idea of doing the show is to take the contemporary and western aesthetic of the brand global. At Dubai Fashion Week we bring a more couture, more elevated version of what we do in ready to wear and contemporary fashion,” expresses Mohit Rai.

ITRH’s design aesthetic and showcases have always been synonymous with bling and drama, so will there be a dramatic statement made on the runway? Mohit says, “Bling and drama are a very inherent part of our brand and innate to our aesthetic. Natak also means drama. The inspiration comes from the regional, local natak performances we have all grown up watching. The stage shows, the drama, theatrics, makeup, dramatic costumes that’s the inspiration for this collection,”

ITRH will also be celebrating the collection and the craft through myriad shades, prints and silhouettes. Mohit shares that the classic leopard prints, inspired by the 80s, will make a statement in powerful silhouettes. ITRH’s love for jewels and gems will shine and sparkle throughout the collection. For this showcase, ITRH has explored distinct silhouettes including skirt suits, pant suits and power shoulders, which is a dramatic turn for ITRH and the showcase, suggests Mohit. The beauty of Natak will be brought to life by an impressive colour palette featuring neons, blacks and jewel tones.

Entering a new market and bringing their creative aesthetics that matches the energy of the place is quite the challenge. According to Mohit, the biggest challenge for them was understanding the nuances of the middle east market, while staying true to their design aesthetics. “We wanted to be respectful of the culture as well as be true to our ITRH aesthetic. With Dubai being the centre of the middle east, for us it was important to find a global voice, while understanding the language of the market and the audience here.”

The showcase will be held at DFW complex, Q D3 Hall, Dubai Design District at 8 pm (GST) on Septembr 2.