Prior to starting their contemporary and evening label Sachin & Babi, husband-and-wife design team Sachin and Babi Ahluwalia had already found considerable success with their textile business, ANK International. So it’s no surprise that the duo’s collections often start with fabric choice. Sachin said that the initial inspiration for their Fall 2016 collection came when he was visiting the Getty House in San Francisco, and was shown some of Mrs. Getty’s couture items. He immediately recognized a fabric he had made a dozen years ago that was embroidered with real cabochon stones. While the Getty House was beautiful, it was the gems that stayed with him and provided the inspiration for much of the collection’s color palette: garnet red, ruby, blue topaz, and emerald. The latter showed up particularly beautifully on the skirt of a strapless, velvet-bodice ball gown. “This is for the gala girl,” said Sachin. That is, the modern kind that doesn’t want to spend $5,000, nor be weighed down on the dance floor. Using Babi’s considerable textile knowledge, the duo employed an un-embroidered jacquard for the skirt, which holds its shape without the need for heavy lining or filler.
Elsewhere, the pair continued the Latin theme introduced for Pre-Fall, with a tiered ruffled skirt that came in two lengths and multiple colorways, and a ruby red encrusted bolero. There was also a touch of the East: Many gowns were styled with satin or velvet belts and bows, which Sachin dubbed the “judo belt.” Most beautifully, the influence could be felt on the jewel-colored flowers hand-embroidered onto tops and skirts, which were inspired by origami. Sachin said they actually sent real paper flowers to their artisans and asked them to find a way to make them softer and apply them to fabric. Needless to say, they figured it out.
