Divinely colourless
When one thinks of summer colours, it’s usually soft pastels — aqua, peach, pinks, etc — that come to mind. In the midst of floral prints and rainbow colours, Jayanti Reddy’s ‘Life in Monochrome’ came as a breath of fresh air. The Hyderabad-based designer, who specialises in bridal wear, created a collection that caters to the courageous modern bride. From simple cuts to more elaborate zardosi and beaded designs, each piece held a summery charm despite the lack of colour.
Models waltzed across the ramp in light silks and breezy chiffons. Off-shoulder blouses, capes with cold shoulders, dhotis, skirts and ruffled dupattas made the collection classy and edgy, while elaborate ghagras and simple saris gave it the traditional edge.
Shilpa Shetty looked an ethereal princess bride as she walked onto the stage in an ivory lehenga, with a scalloped hemline and a ruffled jacket and dupatta.
After the show, Jayanti revealed that working with monochromes was challen-ging. “I usually use a lot of bright colours and so deviating, but still keeping it summery was difficult. I kept the materials light so that the dresses would hold their summer-cool charm, without the characteristic pastels,” she says.
Why a collection in monochrome though? “This is what modern brides look for in a trousseau collection. They like understated, muted colours. That doesn’t mean designs should be any less gorgeous,” says Jayanti who wore one of her statement jackets at the event.
Glowing in her divine ensemble, Shilpa confesses she fell for the jackets. “You can’t wear this to a wedding unless you want to upstage the bride,” she jokes. “What’s special is that you can team up the jacket I wore with a pair of jeans or dhoti pants and wear it to a party. When Jayanti first showed me the designs, there was only one ghagra, but she had seven different jackets that could go with them. I loved each one of them,” she reveals.
Light, bright and sublime
On the other hand, designer Ashwini Reddy's show took off in a flurry of organzas, tulle, net and zardosi. Deviating from casual designs of the Sum-mer/Resort collection that dominated Lakmé Fashion Week 2018, Ashwini chose to create couture for the modern summer bride.
Tamannaah felt the collection was a perfect fit for modern brides
From flared skirts and lehengas to cropped jackets and palazzos, the collection was a refreshing mix of pastels meshed with reds and warm colours. Titled Tilottama, after the beautiful apsara in Hindu mythology, the collection is tailored for contemporary brides who love traditions and roots.
So when showstopper Tamannaah sashayed onto the ramp in a heavily embroidered, vivid red lehenga, she looked every bit the apsara that Ashwini had pictured. “The dress was custom-designed just for her! When I thought of a Tilottama, I could only think of her, since she embodies feminine grace and energy,” gushed Ashwini after the show.
The ethereal dress, however, took the designer a long time to create. “The zardosi and pearl inlays in her dress were all done by hand and the entire dress took over a month to make, but it was worth the effort,” adds Ashwini smiling. She elaborates, “I used a lighter palette for this collection than I would have for a winter bride, keeping the material to organzas, nets and other lighter cloths.”
Tamannaah, too, was all praise for the new designer. “If I hadn’t been told, I would’ve never guessed that this is her first show. She’s a confident designer with definite ideas,” felt the actress. Feeling light and comfortable in her dress, she even said that she could dance in it if she had to.
“An Ashwini Reddy bride will feel like an apsara! She’s modern and edgy but still holds strongly to traditions. She’s someone who will dance at her own wedding. I feel like I can do cartwheels in this dress,” says the actress with a laugh.
