India Couture Week (July 20-24, 2016) kicked off with great aplomb, with venerated designer Manish Malhotra opening the sartorial events with ‘A Persian Story.’ Inspired by the architecture of Persia, Malhotra’s show featured everything sumptuous, ornate, and decadently detailed. Excited by this homage to the best of Indian fashion, Discern Living has put together a quick primer to how to bring couture out of your wardrobe and into your home.

Simply put, ‘couture’ means fashionable, made-to-measure clothing. For the home, we have chosen to interpret that as statement-making pieces, one-of-a-kind accents, and a special stamp of your very own personality, that no one else can replicate.



Make a Statement without Saying a Word

Wallpaper is a quick and relatively easy way in which you can go bold at home, without the long-term commitment. Choose a wall that will be in direct line of vision as someone enters the house, and go as adventurous as you wish, using color, texture, or patterns (or a combination of all three)! Another great place to try this is in a powder room.





Watercolour Giclee Print

Tropical Storm Teal and Yellow



Embellishments, Everywhere

A mainstay of couture clothing is intricate embroidery and embellishment. Introduce this element into your home with cushions in rich hues and sumptuous fabrics. Even the most basic sofa will get a dose of sophistication when you place these cushions on it! Note: if you’re planning on placing the cushions on a sofa that gets used a lot, consider avoiding cushions with beads or embroidery that will hinder a guest’s ability to rest comfortably against it.



Silk Velvet Cushion



Motif Magic

Takeaways from Manish Malhotra’s dreamy opening show at Couture Week include his liberal use of traditional motifs. The idea behind the use of these symbols is to convey a sense of old-world charm, and the depth of design, by referencing these classic forms that have deep roots in ancient cultures. You can easily bring this look into your home through small touches, which could even include the tableware you choose.





Black and Gold Coffee Mug



Play Dress Up with Jewel Tones

Think of couture and a lot of adjectives come to mind: decadent, sumptuous, rich, luxurious. A great way to bring a sense of couture into your home is by choosing your colours wisely. Jewel tones are rich and vibrant shades that, when done right, will bring a sense of depth and interest to your interiors. You may think that these shades are dark and broody, but jewel tones run the gamut – consider incorporating hues of turquoise, quartz, ruby, sapphire and emerald green into your home and watch the transformation happen, right in front of your eyes.





Indigo Ribbed Votive​



Psych Pleasures Vase​





Digital Printed Green Coasters



There are so many inspiring ideas out there! We’re just getting warmed up. We would love tips or suggestions from you, on bringing this trend into the home. Find us on Twitter and Instagram @DiscernLiving