I’m not going to lie, as the first few looks came down House of Parvi’s runway, I thought ‘oh no’. The silhouettes were simple, the colours were dull and the patterns gave off mother of the bride vibes. The outfits weren’t bad, but they weren’t exciting. But, all good story has it’s arc, right?

The first half of the show was ok, the silhouettes were conventional, the colours were nothing outstanding. There were some nice silk shirts and stoles for the male models and some ‘cute’ dresses in nice autumnal colours. But, you know what kept me hoping? THE TAILORING. Every look that Anjali (House of Parvi’s main designer) sent down the runway was created with PERFECTION, fitting every model like a silk glove. That’s what kept me holding my breath for the big reveal.

Then, in the distance I saw a model wearing a floor length, navy blue dress, with structured shoulders and bias pink striping. THIS IS WHAT I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR. Was the colour, silhouette or pattern ground-breaking? No. Was it executed perfectly? Yes. This is House of Parvi - timeless sophistication. What followed suit was a series of flowing scarf-life summer dresses - sown at the model’s lower back and tied at the neck - and more structural gowns. For the men, the looks that combined multiple patterns and contrasting colour palettes were my favourite - the right side of modern evening wear, inspired by traditional Indian dress.

To top it all of, the main material used in the collection was made from rose petal fibre, which emulated silk and hung so beautifully, but is 100% sustainably crafted, eco-friendly and biodegradable. Waiting on each of our chairs was a rose petal fibre scarf of our own to take home, wrapped in paper embedded with rose seeds, to plant at home. I’m not usually one for gimmicks, but this was a thoughtful way of bringing the viewer into House of Parvi’s crafting journey.

So, kids, the moral of the story is, don’t judge a book by its cover until the show has finished and they pull out their showstoppers!