2025 | mumbai

The project sought to evoke the nostalgia of old-world Calcutta within a modern fashion show for a global audience, interpreted through the lens of Sabyasachi, a luxury house rooted in the city’s rich heritage. Research guided the lighting approach, including visits to heritage homes in North Calcutta and a study of archival imagery. Lighting in that era was eclectic: affluent families acquired fixtures during overseas travel, creating a blend of materials and forms, unified by the warm glow of halogen and incandescent light. The venue became a replica of traditional courtyard homes, down to switches and electrical hardware. The lighting design rested on three pillars: the warmth of 2700K incandescent lamps evoking a bygone glow; careful sourcing and artisanal ageing of fixtures to suggest timeworn elegance; and a layered lighting composition across interiors, corridors, façades, and streetscapes, ensuring historical fidelity. Custom ageing techniques introduced controlled patina, surface wear, and selective breakage. Dimming strategies mimicked organic lamp degradation. While largely static, lighting cues synchronized with intro music for transitions, creating a lived-in, timeworn ambience that fused technical precision with emotional resonance.