2014 Indian Bridal Wear Trends & Tips From Designer Neha Gursahani

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In a tete-a-tete with weddingsOnlineIndia, ace designer Neha Gursahani gives us the lowdown on 2014 Indian Bridal Wear Trends as well as the USP of her label (Neha Gursahani).

  • What Indian bridal wear trends-colors and cuts will be in vogue or will we see in 2014 Indian weddings?

  For 2014 there will be a couple of ongoing Indian Bridal Wear Trends.

Colors: – We will likely see a distinctive contrast between the warm and cool colors. Amongst the warm colors, we will see a lot of deeper darker tones of vintage colors like crimson, mahogany, bronze, rust and ash brown. We will also see a lot of blues, the strongest among the cool color scheme. Tones ranging from Lapis Lazuli to Indigo to Royal blue.

Fabrics: – Rich velvets, textured brocades, chanderis, silks and georgettes with delicate embroideries will dominate the Indian Bridal Wear Trends for the next season.

Cuts: – The silhouettes will basically comprise of old world glamour with a modern twist. Let it be a fusion of a saree drape and a gown or a ply of jackets and waistcoats teamed with voluminous ghagaras, dhoti pants and even sarees.

Different surface treatments like embroidery, pleating and digital printing will revive the classics in a modern way.

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  •   What tips would you give to brides shopping for their wedding trousseau?
  1.       Start shopping at least 6 months before the big day
  2.       Look around, try different cuts, see what flatters your body
  3.       Finalize your garment 3 months before the wedding
  4.      Pick  a color ,cut  and silhouette that compliments your  skin tone and body type
  5.    A petite person should not wear too much embroidery. She should go in for more volume and less embroidery while a person with a slightly bigger frame should go in for straighter cuts.
  6.     Don’t be afraid to try off beat colors like blues, purples and even off whites
  7.     Always pick out your jewellery  before finalizing on your bridal outfit
  8.  An ideal trousseau should have a silver blouse , a gold blouse , a lehenga and a pre draped saree.
  • In recent years, we have seen a reemergence of styles, especially at the latest fashion shows where top designers used indo-western influence in their designs only to come back to the more traditional or classic embroidered outfits. What do you think will be the trend in 2014?

            We have such a rich and varied culture in India, and so many crafts associated with each state, that it becomes difficult not to incorporate it in our clothing. Let it be our textiles, embroidery, weaving, printing or even dying techniques each of these forms of art and craft are practised differently in different parts of the country.

But today with globalisation, the world has become a smaller place to live in. Just as the West has incorporated our forms of craft in their garments we too have adopted their cuts and sewing techniques and made it our own, which has made our designers very unique and popular worldwide.

Today Indian designers are breaking the mould of what bridal and prêt should typically be like. They innovate with cuts, colors and patterns embracing a style which appeals to a global audience and this trend will definitely get bigger in the years to come.

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  •  Can you walk us through the design process that you go about with when a bride-to-be approaches you for her bridal wear designing?

            With any bride we first ask her to speak her mind. We discuss color preference, cuts, embroidery depending on her body type. We then make her try out different silhouettes so that she can get a visual of what looks best on her. After which we go back to the drawing board, show her different sketches and develop embroidery swatches as per our prior discussion with the bride. At this stage we usually request the bride to come in with a close relative or a friend or whoever she is comfortable with to finalise on the design. This is followed by a kaccha trial 3 weeks before the big day. If any alterations are to be made, it is all taken care off and then the final trial is given around 2 weeks prior the wedding date.

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  •  Describe the modern Indian bride

In today’s day and age the modern bride knows her mind. She is willing to experiment and play around with unconventional colors, embroidery and silhouette on the whole. She wants her garment   to be light and comfortable so that she can enjoy her own wedding celebrations. She thinks of feasibility and re-using her wedding outfit in innovative ways even after the wedding.

  •  What is your USP of the designs you create?

My designs comprise of elaborate silhouettes with a old school charm. My style is very feminine, romantic with an underlying sensuality. I personally love playing with oxidised, antique and subtle embroidery combined with modern methods of pleating, rushing and draping.

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  • Please advise brides as to the right way of preserving their wedding wear?

It is actually very essential for brides to maintain their garments because, even after several years if they plan to re-use the embroidery or pass it on to their next generation, they can do so if kept well.

Ideally the garment should be dry cleaned and wrapped carefully in ‘mal’ cloth. Every 6 months it should be opened for a day or so and then wrapped again in mal. This is a very good way to preserve the garment. And even after several years if the cloth starts to wear off the zari can be polished and re-used.

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Neha Gursahani has a Bachelors degree in design from the Art Institute of Philadelphia. She also has the rich experience of working with distinguished Retail Houses like LaROK and Haddad Apparel in New York City as well as Mother’s Work and Anthroplogie in Philadelphia. But her goal has always  been to set base in India and start her own label.  She realized this dream in 2009 by creating her brand ‘Neha Gursahani’. Today, she has retail stores in Pune and Mumbai and also supplies to multi-designer stores like Rudraksh in Pune, Aura in Nagpur and Raipur and Fuel in Mumbai.

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