The highlight of the fashion season was the Manish Malhotra-Reverie show, sponsored by Baume & Mercier watches. The action for this show, held at the Taj's Chamber's terrace, started at 7.30 am when all the models and choreographer Sharmila Khanna showed up to rehearse. It was a day of firsts, really as not only was it Manish's first fashion show, but also the first time that actress Urmila Matondkar Manish's muse took the ramp.After all the girls were given instruction sheets, it was time to start. The first to take the ramp was Lisa Ray, a little nervous, as surrounding this first-timer (another one) were some of the best-known catwalkers, from Noyonika Chatterjee, Madhu Sapre, Ujwala Raut and Bipasha Basu to Anna Bredmeyer. "Don't worry. Just be natural," said Sharmila. And that seemed to work. To overcome the morning heat Sheetal Malhar insisted on holding on to her umbrella every time she took the stage the models got down to the business of sashaying and swivelling.By then a harried Manish Malhotra arrived with business partner Kajal Anand. He seemed to be even more nervous than some of the models on stage. "I haven't slept for three days. Where are the flowers?" he asked, darting around in panic. His choreographer came to the rescue and made soothing noises, "The flowers will be here soon. If we put them up now, they will die by the evening."After lunch, the scene looks less chaotic, with the models going in for their make-up and final trials. By 4.00 pm, the compere for the evening, Malaika Arora, and Manish's good friends, Karan Johar and Urmila, arrive. Finally, it's time for the last practise run of the day. And the Mast girl takes to the ramp like a duck to water.By now, the models are also flagging. Some try to grab forty winks, others correct their make-up "Do my eyes look fine?" asks Sheetal and still others continue to seek perfection "How do you turn properly?" Lisa asks Anna. And so the commotion continues, till 8.30 pm when the guests finally begin to arrive.Five hundred of the city's most sought-after faces come to see Manish's first couture show. Representing Bollywood are Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan. The world of business is neatly cornered by Parmeshwar Godrej, Tina Ambani, Czaee Shah, Poonam Bhagat, Gautam Singhania, Manish's business partner Avanti Birla with husband Yash. Sprinkling a dash of glamour to the glittering crowd were Queenie Singh, Ramona Garware, and film actress Neelam Kothari.At 9.30 pm the show starts. Urmila is presented a watch from B&M's catwalk range. And then the clothes take centrestage. The first to take the ramp are Gucci-inspired jeans ornate pants jazzed up with caviar beads and Swarovski stones and slinky tops. Then come a range of aqua and white outfits with chikan and mirror work on them. And then follows a sheer range of clothing with a soft and sexy feel to them including the bride's pink lehenga. Interestingly, Manish's silhouettes had a strong Western touch. His trousers were cropped and his kameezes were more like short tunics. While no model wore jewellery to detract from the designs, every outfit had a matching bag inspired by the latest Fendi and Louis Vuitton collections that are all the rage in the West and shoes. Manish's attention to detail was exceptional. The ultimate testimonial though came from Urmila, who said that Manish's clothes not only make you look beautiful, they make you feel beautiful. A sentiment echoed by the enthralled audience.Within half an hour, most of Manish's outfits were sold.
