Wedding Gowns & Bridal Fashion

Indian weddings have always been very special social occasions, a celebration of a lifetime, with preparations commencing months before the “D Day”.

However, with India going global, pre-wedding anxieties are now passe with the on one-stop solution for a perfect occasion.

Wedding today is an industry, thanks to the pan Asian wedding extravaganza “Bridal Asia”, which pioneered the concept of “all in one platform for wedding” in the late 90s, claims Divya Gurwara, CEO Bridal Asia.

From beautiful cards, regal Rajasthani mandaps, choicest designer wear with exquisite jewellery and accessories to gourmet cuisine ranging from Japanese Sushi and French wine to Kathiawadi dishes, everything is taken care of at “Bridal Asia”.

October, an auspicious month for Indian weddings and sales, has been chosen for the exhibition which is being held every year from 1999 onwards, she told media.

A jewellery designer who dabbled in custom-made pieces, Divya realised the vast potential of an Indian wedding wayback in 1990 when the very concept was novel.

“I felt a need of quality platform which caters to the elaborate preparations that go into an Indian wedding would not only be a boon to customers but also provide an opportunity to those in the industry, from fashion designers to confectioners to give their best,” she said.

Bridal Asia’s forte, says Divya ‘is targeted at the middle class, upper middle class and the high-end. The budgets are made to suit all these categories’, she says.

Striving to provide quality and variety, the three-day exposition being held at Delhi from October 16 this time will not only have the who’s who of Indian fashion such as Sabyasachi Mukherjee and Anita Dongre but also fresh talent like Kamaali & Shruti, Pallavi Singhee and Hemant Lalwani.

Bridal Asia which “has always acted as a creative bridge between Pakistan and India”, will also have Pakistani designers like Sahar Atif and Honey Waqar with their brands “Karma” and “Bareeze” and popular Bangladeshi designer Maheen Khan, said Divya.

“International brands are looking at the Indian wedding market which is becoming more and more stylish and the example is Jimmy Choo (footwear), Gucci (bags) and La Perla (Lingerie) being brought by Murjani group at Bridal Asia, this time”, she said.

Reflecting on the wedding trends, Divya says the whole wedding paraphernalia has undergone a “major transformation”.

Fashion Guru Prasad Bidapa feels “the wedding kaleidoscope has absorbed all the modern waves”. In the 90s, though wedding decor was not opulent, the embellishments were heavy. “It was flayer ed heavily embroidered lehengas and ornate sarees in silk in hues of brown, red and orange which were popular with the full-bodied brides”, he said.

The demure bride of yesteryears has been replaced by a modern woman ready to take on a man in all spheres, says Manoviraj Khosla, a designer known for his stylish work.

“Experimentation and uniqueness is the name of the game today,” he said.

While lehengas are “structured and fitted to the body with the bride ready to show her svelte figure, the sarees are transparent adorned with svarovski crystals, coloured pearls and even shells”, says Bangalore’s own Namrata G.

In jewellery, it was ethnic Kundan and gold jewellery and delicate diamond pieces made marks. Accessories (bags and footwear) were almost an after thought. The embellishments today, feels Rocky S are “minimalistic yet fashionable and make a statement”.

Ritu Kumar, Czarina of Indian bridal fashion says in jewelleries “a lot of white gold, chunky diamonds and big coloured gem stones, precious and semi precious which are getting picked up”. Even beautiful artificial jewellery ” a total taboo in the 90s is making mark as long as it is unique and exquisite”, she says.

Ritu Beri, who has made a name in the global fashion arena feels “accessories have a strong presence today. It is a blend of tradition and modern. From a traditional brocaded batua or a clutch bag with swarovski crystals or animal print, what is important is making a style statement.

In decor, it is “understated opulence which is in. White drapes, crystals, white roses, pearls and mandaps in golds, reds and even block vegetable-dye prints are favoured”.

Source: The Economic Times