In a normal year the India Couture Week, an extravaganza of high-end style and bridal wear from the country’s top designers, would have been held in July. That’s when the monsoon season brings cooler temperatures to New Delhi, and when the city’s beautiful and wealthy people return from their European […]
In a normal year the India Couture Week, an extravaganza of high-end style and bridal wear from the country’s top designers, would have been held in July. That’s when the monsoon season brings cooler temperatures to New Delhi, and when the city’s beautiful and wealthy people return from their European sojourns.
July is also prime wedding-planning season, bringing brides-to-be out of the woodwork, each searching for her dream gown.
An Indian wedding often has up to five or six events besides the main one. This non-traditional couture outfit made from industrial materials and polymers, from Delhi-based designer Amit Aggarwal’s Couture 2020 collection, would probably be worn by a bride for the cocktails or a “youngsters’ party” (away from the eyes of disapproving elders!) Courtesy of Amit Aggarwal
More than 20% of Indian brides surveyed in 2018 said they would spend between $13,500 and $27,000 on their weddings. About the same proportion expected to spend $1,350 or more on clothes for the event. The Big Fat Indian Wedding Market Survey collected information from more than 9,200 brides.
But that was then, and this is the year of socially distant wedding planning, even for the upper crust. Indian brides from elite families look forward to family-reunion extravaganzas that might attract 1,000 people and cost a quarter of a million dollars or more.
Traditional Indian wedding garments are often about heavy textiles and embroideries, but not all brides want to be weighed down by tradition. For some modern brides, designer Amit Aggarwal’s jewel-toned gowns, crafted from industrial materials and signature polymers, are what make the cut. Amit Aggarwal)
Not in 2020: The COVID-19 pandemic has turned rupee signs into question marks. (Who wants to issue masks to their wedding guests?)
Faced with the reality of empty runways, the Fashion Design Council of India took couture week all-digital. A dozen top designers streamed shows on its digital and social media platforms.
At last count India had 6.39 million Covid-19 cases and about 1 million deaths, so masks may just be the new normal even in bridal wear. Here Indian supermodeI Lakshmi Rana stays safe as she takes notes from designer Anju Modi before their India Couture Week 2020 digital film shoot. Courtesy of Anju Modi
It was a different vibe, but the same take-your-breath-away fashion, in late September instead of late July.
In India it’s not Carolina Herrera, Alexander McQueen, Vera Wang and Louis Vuitton. It’s Amit Aggarwal, Dolly J., Gaurav Gupta, J. J. Valaya, Rahul Mishra, Shantanu & Nikhil and Suneet Varma.
While traditional ensembles are a must for an Indian wedding, streamlined western silhouettes are increasingly finding favor. Designer Dolly J uses handcrafted chikankari, an ancient fine thread embroidery mostly practiced by craftsmen from the city of Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh, India, on silk organza. Courtesy of Dolly J
They sound exotic to American ears, but they’re household names to well-heeled Indians who spend heavily and want one-of-a-kind everything for festivities that can last up to a week.
Young women in planning mode this year want traditional looks, vibrant colors, intricately woven textiles and one cultural reference after another.
Hindus consider red an auspicious color, and Indian brides wear a lot of it. Here the model wears a “lehenga,” a heavily-embroidered skirt-blouse-stole ensemble favored by North Indian brides, from designer Dolly J. Courtesy of Dolly J
“For an Indian bride, the bridal lehenga—a richly-embroidered ankle-length skirt, blouse and stole combination that North Indian brides wear—is of key importance,” says designer Reynu Taandon. “The outfit is usually in sumptuous bridal hues like red, orange and gold and embroidered with traditional Indian techniques like Zardozi [metal embroidery on cloth] and Gotapatti [appliqué embroidery].”
Digital fashion shows lack the pomp and drama of the real thing, and the bridal industry is on the ropes in India. But Fashion Design Council of India chairman Sunil Sethi says more people can see the clothes this way “instead of them being restricted to a privileged few.”
And designers like the format, he said, because “there were fewer models to spend on.”
An Indian wedding’s main look is often heavily inspired by the country’s regal heritage. Royal titles were abolished by the Indian Government in 1971, but wealthy Indians often aspire to replicate the pomp and extravagance of the “Maharaja” life at weddings. Here couturier JJ Valaya dressed models in rich bridal wear embellished with crystals, silk threads, beads, pearls, and zardozi, a kind of metal thread embroidery. Courtesy of JJ Valaya The Indian bridal wear industry employs hundreds of skilled craftsmen and keeps alive ancient embroidery techniques like zardozi (metal thread) and Resham (silk thread). Here a model wears a JJ Valaya lehenga (skirt) -choli(blouse) in fine silk and velvet. Courtesy of JJ Valaya Designer Rahul Mishra is known for intricate embroideries of flora and fauna that depart from the traditional heavy embroideries found in most Indian bridal wear. Here a model wears an ecosystem of aquatic plants, fish, plankton, dragonflies, and butterflies. Courtesy of Rahul Mishra In 2014, for a film award event, Bollywood Actress Deepika Padukone wore a sheer, body-hugging Gaurav Gupta outfit in metallic gold that made headlines for a week. While Gupta’s collection for the India Couture Week 2020 was not half as risque, they weren’t in the traditional mold. Courtesy of Gaurav Gupta With India Couture Week happening online this year, designers streamed pre-recorded digital films through the Fashion Design Council of India’s social media platforms. Here, a model gets the final finishing touches to her makeup before her shoot for the Shantanu & Nikhil line. Courtesy of Shantanu & Nikhil) Indian women often go to great lengths to get the perfect clothes for their wedding day, but not many of them can afford designer wear. They do the next best thing by getting a cheap copy from places like Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi, which is flooded with imitations soon after couture masterpieces hit the catwalks. This model wears a Suneet Varma sequinned lehenga with ruffled sleeves. Courtesy of Suneet Varma The Covid-19 pandemic has forced brides to pare back decor and guest lists, but few are willing to compromise on their main bridal outfits. Here a model wears a Reynu Taandon traditional wedding ensemble embroidered with zardozi (metal thread embroidery) and gota patti (applique embroidery) work. Courtesy of Reynu Taandon Indian weddings are usually a riot of reds and golds, with black and grey traditionally frowned upon as inauspicious colors. But many modern brides experiment with other hues. Here the model wears a futuristic Gaurav Gupta lehenga (skirt). Courtesy of Gaurav Gupta
This story was provided to Newsweek by Zenger News.
Óscar Gutiérrez/CNET This story is part of Apple Event, our full coverage of the latest news from Apple headquarters. Apple has announced its newest iPhone during a September media event every year since 2012’s iPhone 5. During the 2020 Apple event last month, we got new Apple Watch and iPad […]
