From invitation cards to décor, couturiers today are making the most opulent nuptial dreams come true
In February 1997, designer duo Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla stepped into the third leg of their couture career –– wedding design –– and it began with Shweta Bachchan and Nikhil Nanda’s wedding. The expansion from fashion to furniture and then interior design, subsequently led to weddings. “We have always allowed our creativity to find new expression through different mediums,” says Khosla. More significantly, the designers add that fashion and lifestyle are “inextricably linked”, and nothing signifies Indian lifestyle and pomp quite like the big, fat Indian wedding.
Rohit
Bal created a regal ambience at a Jaipur wedding in January 2015, which
also comprised the mandap (above and left); Bal’s hand-painted and
hand-crafted pens (top)
Perhaps that is one reason why an increasing number of fashion designers
today have moved beyond the bridal trousseau, and the groom’s outfits.
Rather, they are spearheading entire weddings, from conceptualising
pre-wedding shoots to designing accessories that complement the theme of
the wedding. “We love creating installations and settings with a
strong, larger than life, fantasy element. The objective is to craft
something magical and memorable,” says Khosla, who along with his
partner, works on food, beverage, invitation cards and gift packaging.
They also look at how a wedding –– sangeet, mandap and reception –– can
be given a designer twist.
New on the block
There are fairly new entrants in this field as well, and each
designer aims to create a dream-like affair. JJ Valaya launched his
wedding label in 2012. The following year, Varun Bahl designed a wedding
reception for a Kolkata-based industrialist. Rohit Bal’s new venture,
especially for weddings, was initiated in March 2014, and he asserts
that there was a lot of demand for wedding design from his clients and
friends. “I had designed weddings 15 years earlier as well, but that
wasn’t like this. Now, we give people a gift-wrapped wedding,” he
states, referring to the scale of the event planning. Besides designing
the various elements of a wedding, Bal is also planning to introduce a
range of handmade fountain and ball pens, with German gloss lacquer and
peacock motifs, as well as crystal cases, exclusively to be used as
wedding gifts and décor elements.
Signature touch
Other designers like, Ritu Kumar and Anita Dongre have also indulged in accessories. “I have recently started making customised clutches and handbags with the signature Varun Bahl floral crest embroidered on it. Apart from that, we have been making outfit coordinated footwear, and accessories for brides as well as grooms,” says Bahl. On the other hand, Kumar recently designed caps with zardozi embroidery and prints, to go along with bridal wear, with the sangeet in mind. According to Kumar, any headgear adds drama to the wedding ensemble. Her accessories include embroidered clutches and potli bags.
Interestingly, all the couture becomes a part of, what designer
Kunal Anil Tanna calls, “a story”. The demand for a well-themed wedding
seems to be growing. Every detail, from the garments to the décor, is
part of a bigger picture. “People want their weddings to be an
experience. Since I am conceptualising the groom’s outfit, they want me
to continue the running story,” says Tanna, giving the example of a
Ramayan-themed wedding, in which he created an emblem, variations of
which were replicated in other aspects of the wedding. Tanna also
designs turbans, kamarbandhs, brooches and shoes with the owner’s
initials. For Bahl, these accessories are pieces that can be worn on
other occasions. “The client can make a statement even with those
pieces, which can be teamed with any other outfit, and they are
guaranteed something unique,” he says. Perhaps, the most important
reason for people to desire a designer wedding is the idea of a bespoke
marriage ceremony that is unlike anything else. JJ Valaya sums it up.
“Do something different, that’s what everyone has asked me in the past
25 years. That is the job of a designer,” he says.
Signature touch
Other designers like, Ritu Kumar and Anita Dongre have also indulged in accessories. “I have recently started making customised clutches and handbags with the signature Varun Bahl floral crest embroidered on it. Apart from that, we have been making outfit coordinated footwear, and accessories for brides as well as grooms,” says Bahl. On the other hand, Kumar recently designed caps with zardozi embroidery and prints, to go along with bridal wear, with the sangeet in mind. According to Kumar, any headgear adds drama to the wedding ensemble. Her accessories include embroidered clutches and potli bags.
Interestingly, all the couture becomes a part of, what designer
Kunal Anil Tanna calls, “a story”. The demand for a well-themed wedding
seems to be growing. Every detail, from the garments to the décor, is
part of a bigger picture. “People want their weddings to be an
experience. Since I am conceptualising the groom’s outfit, they want me
to continue the running story,” says Tanna, giving the example of a
Ramayan-themed wedding, in which he created an emblem, variations of
which were replicated in other aspects of the wedding. Tanna also
designs turbans, kamarbandhs, brooches and shoes with the owner’s
initials. For Bahl, these accessories are pieces that can be worn on
other occasions. “The client can make a statement even with those
pieces, which can be teamed with any other outfit, and they are
guaranteed something unique,” he says. Perhaps, the most important
reason for people to desire a designer wedding is the idea of a bespoke
marriage ceremony that is unlike anything else. JJ Valaya sums it up.
“Do something different, that’s what everyone has asked me in the past
25 years. That is the job of a designer,” he says.
