Just when you think of saying goodbye to a trend forever, it comes back with a vengeance. Until now the idea of sporting traditional symbols of a marriage such as sindoor, mangalsutra, and chooda (red and white bangles) was totally dismissed by modern Indian brides but looks like celebrities just can’t get enough of it this season.
From Anushka Sharma to Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone to Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and even Nita Ambani were seen flaunting their ‘suhaag ki nishani’ or the symbols of their married status with pride at the spate of high-profile weddings and lavish reception parties held recently.
Senior designer, Vidhi Singhania, believes that for a long time the trend was about dressing down and underplaying, but this season it’s all about ‘more is more’. She says, “India is coming back to its roots, and, honestly, it’s wonderful and exciting. Sindoor, chooda, bindi, sarees, mangalsutra — for me it’s a reaffirmation of the love and relationship they share. It’s not just about dressing up, but it’s that glow that reflects on your face and reminds you of the wonderful emotions of that day. I’m happy to see women dressing up the Indian way.”
While flaunting your Indian quotient seems to be the hottest trend right now, modern women are happily embracing their traditions with time. Sharnamli Mehra Adhar, co-founder of The Pink Post Inc, says, “It is amazing to see the modern Indian woman embracing old traditions and flaunting it with their own twist.”
She adds, “I personally feel a blend of the old and new is the perfect combination to start something as sacred and holy as the Indian wedding. If you’re not someone who wants to go all out, experiment with something less and see what works for you.”
Reviving the age-old symbolism with time is not just cool among millennials, but also a sign of changing India. Prerna Rajpal, designer at Amaris Jewels, opines, “There has been a sensibility shift where the younger generation considers it cool to embrace the Indian traditions and customs. With Deepika and Anushka going the whole nine yards, we expect more brides and married women to don sindoor, mangalsutra and chooda at weddings.”
Designer Dharna Hassija says, “Anyone who chooses to wear symbolic accessories deserves the same respect as others who opt to stay away from these symbols. The trend of incorporating these symbols after marriage, as part of styling their look, is not new. These symbols actually accentuate the traditional wear that new brides sport.”
Makeup artist, Shweta Singh, thinks that even though a large number of women were slowly switching their traditional wear for Western trends in everyday life, Indian fashion was still preferred during special occasions and festivals. “Indian fashion sensibility is rich and the symbolic representation surely keeps us connected to the roots. The trend of Indian celebrities bringing back bindi, chooda etc back into fashion is a great way to popularise them. The masses totally follow the trends set by celebrities and this could well be the biggest fashion trend in the days to come.”
