Dia Mirza turns Radha for Anju Modi's show at India Couture Week

New Delhi: As the runway turned into the picture perfect grasslands of Vrindavan, actress Dia Mirza channelised a Radha avatar for designer Anju Modi's couture collection, 'Sunehari Kothi'.

Dressed in a full-sleeved embroidered maroon velvet blouse and multi-coloured lehenga with sheer off-white dupatta, the actress-producer walked to the tunes of flute, sarangi and live singing, which echoed the essence of Lord Krishna's playful personality.

Dia also wore heavy polki jewellery with a maang-tika and bindi and completed her look with a dark red lip color with minimal make-up.

The actress said she felt 'exquisite' wearing the dress crafted by the 'Bajirao Mastani' designer as she believed Anju's style is quite similar to her fashion taste. "I'm so proud to be Anju Modiji's showstopper. She is one of those designers who has, through almost 20 years of her career, been responsible for protecting and nurturing our heritage.

"She's taken handicrafts and textiles to the next level. She likes to stick to her Indian roots and doesn't like messing it up. It's delicate and intricate," Dia said.

Talking about the clothes, the actress said it has resonance of an era gone by, yet it is contemporary and comfortable.

"As a nature lover, I felt great to be a part of this collection. 'Sunehari Kothi' transported me to another world. I felt timeless, depicting Radha through this collection."

The models, both male and female, were draped in shades of white, cream, pinks with the pitambar (yellow) dupattas ? a colour worn by Krishna on ceremonial events.

The dhotis, churidaars with skirts, round-cut kurtas, lehengas and dresses dominated the collection, with men also sporting the half-turban-esque headgear with rich broaches, resembling Vishnu's reincarnation.

Silver brocades, paintings of doe-eyed gopis, cows, deer and peacocks brought out the Kishangarh style of miniature art form with the models wearing embroidered mojaris.

"It is inspired from Indian miniature art. That's what I thought ? Dia is like a princess from Rajasthan, that's from where the collection came about. I'm thankful to Princess Vaishnavi from Kishangarh who helped me understand the 350- year-old art form," Anju said.

"We have been seeing such portraits as a part of our heritage and it says something about our how country's fashion was in those days. For my research, I went to Kishangarh and did all my homework there."

In her collection, the designer used a range of fabrics such as organic and handloom textiles that she has continued to develop in her 25-year-long career. The collection had abundance of Chanderis, velvets, pure silk, organza, and a hint of jungle art, Vrindavan raas.

"Years ago, the fashion style of royals and even commoners was couture-ish. That's what we are trying to revive. We are adding what can to make it more wearable and to suit our lifestyle and yet maintain our heritage," she said.