In season 2 of the regency drama we saw the Shamas flood our screens as we watched the drama unfold. The writers of the show made a conscious choice to have Kate,Edwina and Mary Sharma as dark skin, south asian women whereas in the original books they were white british. Fans of the show have loved seeing the diversity and representation of south asian culture and empowernet portrayed in these roles.
We the APL team have certainly loved every second of it, and felt it would only be right to show what pieces we would style the beautiful and strong women in.
Throughout the episodes, Kate's character wore many jewel tones of India like rich orange, purple, blue and green gowns as a smart, headstrong young woman who doesn't stand for anything less than deserved. The colours really reflected how confident and independent she is and reminded us of a few of our own pieces. When she makes her first appearance, she’s wearing a captivating teal dress; we thought the Maharani Earrings would pair beautifully. The mixture of rich blue and green tones of the mother of pearl, would compliment the gown perfectly, and the reflective gold mirror acrylic is eye-catching, giving you the spotlight for the main character you are.
The “diamond” of the season, Edwina Sharma wore a soft and delicate pastel palette on the show, to reflect her younger, more naive character. In the much anticipated wedding scene we saw her in an elegant ivory gown with intricate french lace, matching gloves and of course a long sheer vale. Our Jhumka earrings are a fun take on traditional Indian Jhumka earrings adorning South Asian culture; feeling empowered while walking down the aisle.
Lady Mary Sharma, the mother of the two sisters wore dusky pink, mauve and purple throughout. Designers added gold trimming and changed the sleeve shapes to represent the characters' Indian culture. The combination of baby pink and grey in the Mini Veda Earrings, would compliment the different tones in her dusty pink gown and a gold trim, patterned jacket nicely. With the slight shimmer and gold mirror drop, they would glisten in the light, tying the whole outfit together making you feel like a powerful goddess.
In the sixth episode, we see the Sharma women preparing for Edwina’s upcoming nuptials, celebrating the traditional Indian ceremony the day before the wedding. In this scene they smeared haldi paste over each other, while wearing yellow and orange dresses which are often associated with new beginnings and happiness. Bright marigold garlands were also hung all around the room, which is associated with brightness and positivity in the life of a new couple. The significance of the Haldi ceremony is that it is believed to bestow blessings to the married couple, and it also purifies and cleanses the body. We thought the whole of the Mangos & Marigolds collection would be the perfect jewels for this scene, seeing a wonderful representation of their heritage.
Dearest reader, what pieces would you wear if you were a member of the ton?
