Designers are always looking for new sources of fashion inspiration. Recently, India - with its traditional, intricate embellishment work and luxurious silk fabrics - has been a popular inspiration source. Fashion houses including Giorgio Armani and of course Chanel, whose Resort 2012 collection was a nod to imperial Bombay (you can refresh your memory of that glorious season by clicking here), have paid homage to classic Indian styles in recent shows.

Marchesa is the latest designer to incorporate traditional Indian styles into its designs. The design duo is a regular on the red carpet and deserves credit for these famous fashion moments:

Blake Lively, Jennifer Lopez, and Sienna Miller all in Marchesa.

Marchesa's S/S 2013 collection debuted in New York last week. The set included empire-waist maharani dresses, asymmetric dresses with heavily-embellished borders and a twist on the traditional Indian sari with draped layers of tulle.

The S/S 2013 season included gorgeous embellished cropped tops and full skirts, resembling ensembles from famous Indian designers Manish Malhotra and Shantanu & Nikhil's previous collections.


Marchesa's collection included updated versions of the traditional Indian lehenga choli: transparent tulle skirts with lace and benares-material shorts underneath, and embellished and peplum blouses on top. Even if it's not something you think you could wear, it's good to try new things! Not to mention, it's interesting to see how a designer translates a familiar style into a completely different design using their own aesthetic.