Shehla Chatoor’s new 'Vintage Garden' collection is at the top of many wish lists. The outfits in the collection are pretty confections of lace and net, enhanced by delicate pleating, intricate threadwork and exquisite detailing. The ensembles are embellished with colour-matched pearls, Chantilly lace, dainty cutwork and fine hand embroidery.

The collection consists mainly of straight short shirts with printed cigarette pants, along with a sari and a couple of other silhouettes. Shehla has used soft, floral prints to complement the outfits, giving the collection a romantic, vintage appeal.

The collection is accompanied by a line of embroidered, minaudiere style clutches.

For those more familiar with Shehla’s striking western and fusion wear, Vintage Garden may be something of a surprise. In fact, this collection personifies Shehla’s luxury Eastern pret aesthetic — subtle, feminine and exquisite.

Shehla is known for the understated elegance of her Eastern wear and this collection sees her back at her best.

The shoot for the collection featuring Sadaf Kanwal captures the nostalgic, Victorian beauty of the collection. One of the standout outfits of the collection is a fully-embroidered floor length white coat with lace sleeves. This is paired with a printed bodice and sharara. The printed sharara is diffused by a layer of net, giving the outfit an ethereal quality.

If there is one drawback to the collection, it’s the fact that this is basically a capsule collection of no more than eight or nine pieces. It’s never nice to bump into someone wearing the same outfit and when a small collection is this pretty, the chances of that happening are much higher. Hopefully Shehla will add to the collection as the season progresses — because many brides with a designer budget will want a Vintage Garden jora in their trousseaus.

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The writer is a freelance journalist and the creative force behind style blog karachista.com. Follow her on Twitter @karachista