Sabyasachi returns to NYFW with denim, diamonds and bit of Bengal

Sabyasachi Mukherjee returned to New York Fashion Week with his 'Bengal Byzantine Broadway' collection and a Metropolitan Museum jewellery collaboration.

Sabyasachi Mukherjee brought his high-fashion collection to New York Fashion Week on Tuesday. The Kolkata-born designer returned to the New York runway after nearly 18 years, showcasing his latest collection. And, in the most Bollywood way possible, the cosmos seemed to conspire to make his return just right.

Sunlight streamed through the glass windows of Spring Studios, bathing the runway and the models as they walked.

Mukherjee returned to the official schedule with 'Bengal Byzantine Broadway', a 72-look Spring/Summer 2027 collection. There was Bengal in the craft, Byzantine history in the jewellery, Broadway in the theatricality and New York in the easy, slightly rebellious styling.

Coming to the collection, there were no layers of bridal drama or sweeping couture silhouettes. Instead, the runway was filled with easy denim, crisp shirts, relaxed tailoring and familiar wardrobe staples. Something you can imagine onself wearing too. And something that may help Sabyasachi become a global brand.

If there was one image that instantly announced that this was not just another presentation, it was Christy Turlington walking out first.

Christy Turlington opened the show

The supermodel opened the show, setting the tone for what was to come. The first look of the collection was all denim, uber cool, classy and something you can simply wear every day, and high fashion at the same time.

Denim appeared in different forms throughout the show - from classic jeans and vests to Western-inspired separates. Button-down shirts, tailored jackets and easy silhouettes were mixed with hand-crafted details, giving otherwise familiar pieces a distinctly Sabyasachi finish.

Turlington wore the striking 'Pantokrator pendant necklace', crafted in 18- and 22-karat gold and framed by a 55.4-carat mix of colourful gemstones: Sapphire, Spinel, Garnet, Iolite, Onyx, Jade, Jasper and Turquoise. Its oversized, sculptural design added a dramatic touch to her otherwise understated look.

Turlington’s association with Sabyasachi goes back to his 25th-anniversary retrospective in Mumbai, where she closed the spectacular show, following Deepika Padukone, who had opened it.

Now, the clothes that followed stayed largely in that relaxed zone. Ther weren't as opulent as one might imagine.

There were also flashes of embellishments, embroidered jackets, cow-print-inspired patches, while cowboy hats and Western references gave the collection its Americana backbone.

Speaking to ELLE, Mukherjee said, “For me, it’s a perfect amalgamation of Americana and Indian [craft]. You know, I don’t really believe in doing couture, because I think it’s very outdated, and it sits very uncomfortably with me. I was born very middle-class, and didn’t have much money when I was growing up. If you have to hire a van to fit a dress, then you shouldn’t come to me.”

The jewellery did the talking

The fashion house described the collection as “a multi-seasonal runway collection featuring High Jewellery in collaboration with The Metropolitan Museum of Art.” The show also marked Mukherjee’s jewellery collaboration with the museum, drawing on centuries of art, ornament and craftsmanship

The collaboration brought oversized gold cuffs, chunky rings and richly coloured gemstone pieces inspired by historic Byzantine, Roman, Greek and Islamic references. Against the relatively restrained clothing, the jewellery became almost impossible to miss.

That contrast worked. A pair of jeans could remain just a pair of jeans, but add a massive gold cuff or an ornate pendant, and suddenly the entire look took on a different personality.

Mukherjee also pushed back against the idea that India needs to be represented through a predictable set of visual cues. In his conversation with ELLE, he spoke about wanting to move beyond the familiar motifs symbolising Indianness through elephants and peacocks and instead present India as a place where history, art, technology, medicine and modernity coexist.

When Rani Mukerji arrived

In the front row was the designer's close friend and supporter Rani Mukerji, draped in a minimalist black saree.

Her association with the designer, predates his global expansion, and even his first New York outing. The designer's own history page notes their collaboration on Black, the Sanjay Leela Bhansali film that won him the National Award for costume design. Oh, and Sabyasachi also designed Rani’s wedding outfit and was among the handful of people who attended the actor’s wedding to film producer Aditya Chopra.

So, as Sabyasachi returned to New York, one of his long-time Bollywood supporters was there to watch it happen.

Also among the attendees were fashion stylist Anaita Shroff Adajania, actor Poorna Jagannathan and designer Prabal Gurung.

And, of course, there was a saree, too. The designer saved it for last. Model Avanti Nagrath closed the show in a classic black saree, cinched with the quintessential Sabyasachi tiger belt and paired with statement cuffs.

- Ends