In the last year, when the majority of the globe favoured tiny, minimalist weddings, Indian women went all out with many dupattas adorned with heavy gems and gold. With less money allocated to guests and a huge location, more money was allocated to the bride’s attire. Despite missing out on traditional Indian celebrations and late-night Bollywood dancing, our lovely brides made up for it by wearing some of the most vibrant and intricately embroidered lehengas we’ve ever seen.
Rather than fighting against it, Indian brides are embracing the current era by incorporating fun twists on time-honored traditions. Traditionally, Indian brides wore red as a sign of Mars (the planet in charge of marriage according to Hindu astrology) and wealth, but today’s contemporary brides don hues like fuschia, emerald, yellow (the colour of the year for 2021! ), and in some instances, all of the above.
We consulted India’s leading bridalwear designers, Manish Malhotra, Gaurav Gupta, Riddhi Mehra, Natasha Dalal, and Monica Shah, to get a sense of what we might anticipate from our colourful brides this year. They discussed the distinctive styles, classic materials, needlework, and vibrant hues that brides would be wearing in the next year.
So, whether you’re getting married or just love wedding dresses, the following trends are what designers are most excited about for this year:
Double Dupattas By Manish Malhotra
Malhotra predicts that this year will be dominated by long, flowing head coverings and the addition of a second dupatta to the majority of new designs. His brand has always been about glitz and drama, and this year, dupattas worn over the head will be draping and train-like to demonstrate this.
Cerise Looks By Gaurav Gupta
“Cerise must be the wedding colour of the season; it’s part of my new fuchsia obsession!” Gupta, the designer, exclaims It is strikingly similar to traditional lava red, but with fuchsia undertones. This hue is ideal for the bride who may not like to stray too far from tradition but yet desires a touch of whimsy.
Lightweight Embroidery By Natasha Dalal
“I’m more drawn to clothing that’s comfy.” It’s possible for a garment to be both comfy and the ensemble of your dreams, says Dalal. “If your costume is too heavy, you naturally seem unhappy and uncomfortable, but when you’re able to move about a little bit, you radiate with more confidence.”
If you’re the kind of bride who likes to be free to move and dance without restriction, chiffon and georgette materials, for example, give off princess feelings without compromising comfort.
Exaggerated Sleeves By Ridhi Mehra
“I’m thrilled that this year offers the chance to explore,” adds Mehra. Regarding blouses, we will experiment extensively with elongated sleeves. If conventional decorations aren’t your style, sleeves like these are a terrific way to add opulence without adding weight.
Light Gold Lehengas By Natasha Dalal
“Light gold is an excellent choice, since it may be worn from the ceremony through the reception.” “There will be just two or three events, as opposed to the typical dozen, so gold is an excellent, adaptable alternative,” says Dalal. Most Indian brides traditionally don’t wear the same outfit to their receptions or after-parties as they do to their traditional ceremonies. However, a colour like gold allows you to simply change your jewellery or accessories for a distinct look that will take you from your traditional ceremonies to your after-party.
Garnet Gowns By Monica & Karishma
This year, like Dalal, Shah has paid close attention to the trend of brides transitioning directly from day to evening attire. “Garnet is a beautiful hue to add to your bridal ensemble since it looks excellent in both natural and artificial light.” Traditional red does not appear well in evening light, so traditional attire is no longer effective.
Multi-Colored Embroidery By Ridhi Mehra
Mehra explains, “We’re working on a lot of pearl and multicoloured embroidery with a combination of pinks and blues.” We’re focusing on multicolor since it’s a novel approach to adding depth to an outfit. We’ve seen multicoloured fabric patterns, but multicoloured embroidery is a particularly sumptuous way for a bride to flirt with the trend.
Emerald Green Outfits By Gaurav Gupta
“Emerald green is such a luxurious hue. “It represents love and hope,” explains Gupta. In Indian tradition, the colour green represents the heart chakra, and your gold jewellery will look beautiful with it.
Ombré Tones By Natasha Dalal
Ombre may be on its way out as a hairstyle trend, but it is now popular for lehengas. Dalal explains, “The light-to-dark nature of ombré has made experimenting with it quite intriguing.” Some individuals ponder whether they should choose a pastel or deeper hue, but in this manner, you may have the best of all worlds.”
Longer Sleeves By Monica & Karishma
When clothing her customers, Shah also takes the wedding theme into account. She explains, “A garment with longer sleeves gives an exquisite, formal touch that is perfect for a black-tie affair.” If your theme is royal, a little detail such as wearing long sleeves can enhance the image.
Organza Skirts By Monica & Karishma
In contrast, if you’re planning a beach or outdoor wedding, Shah suggests taking advantage of this year’s penchant for organza. “These kinds of events are a delight to plan since you have the freedom to innovate.” Consider pairing a blush pink or royal blue blouse with an organza skirt. “Then you may play with your jewellery and wear something bright.” This is another easy method to reuse your lehenga for future events: dress it up with loads of jewellery or an embroidered jacket, or bring it down with a basic white crop top.
Bridal Capes By Natasha Dalal
Dalal adds, “I’ll be making additional capes so you can ditch the dupatta and simply be comfy.” What day is most appropriate to embrace your inner Wonder Woman?
Color-Blocked Lehengas By Manish Malhotra
Malhotra predicts that brides will select more color-blocked lehengas this year as an alternative to traditional solid-colored lehengas. Whether you like experimenting with colour or are just unsure, you may play with this flexible trend in a variety of ways, from bold pastels to more subtle hues, depending on your own style.
Exaggerated Ball Gowns By Gaurav Gupta
If you’ve ever dreamed of wearing a Met Gala-style gown as an Indian bride, this is your year. “Exaggerated shapes will be made with fabrics like silk organza, luxurious fabrics like silk, and many more,” says Gupta.
Off The Shoulder Sleeves By Natasha Dalal
“This year, I’m planning to do a lot of crazy sleeves,” Dalal explains. Sleeves are a terrific way to create drama while remaining lightweight. The pearl and fringe embroidery on this blouse provide a beautiful feminine touch to the off-shoulder sleeves.
Scalloped Dupattas By Ridhi Mehra
“Lace, pearls, and scallops will take centre stage on dupattas,” predicts Mehra. “Organza is really popular this year as well, since it is such a delicate and exquisite fabric that always makes brides seem elegant.” If you’re still leaning toward a conventional style for your lehenga, a lacey, scalloped dupatta is a terrific way to add a little fun, and it pictures well as well.
Blended Color Schemes By Manish Malhotra
Malhotra says, “In 2021, we will see a lovely blend of hues representing the many Indian states.” “We’ll combine the vivacity of Punjab with the luxury of the Mughal Empire and the tranquilly of pastels.” This colour scheme is ideal for a bride who wants to portray a lovely fusion of cultures.
Hybrid Silhouettes By Gaurav Gupta
“I believe in bringing about a cultural transformation through the outfits I design,” adds Gupta. When traditional shapes are combined with current fashion, I perceive a lovely fusion of India and the West. This hybrid silhouette is not only very feminine and graceful, but it also makes a statement about Indian culture and fashion.
Gold Dori Work By Manish Malhotra
This year, there will be an abundance of gold dori work, according to Malhotra. To make our next Ruhaniyaat couture line seem more Punjabi, we have offered additional colour options. Gold embroidery is a defining characteristic of brides from the Indian state of Punjab. Introducing gold in a fresh colour palette and with distinctive designs is a terrific approach for the contemporary bride to pay tribute to historical customs.
Geometric Shapes By Ridhi Mehra
“Patterns such as chevrons and geometric stripes are really fashionable at the moment,” adds Mehra. This lehenga has a little bit of everything we like this year, from the fuschia hue to the frills and dazzling geometric patterns.
Non-Gold Embroidery By Monica & Karishma
“Gold can sometimes lend age to an ensemble, therefore I do believe that brides nowadays are searching for more trendy pieces,” concedes Shah. We’ve just discovered that an outfit may still be royal without the customary use of gold.
If you want to wear your wedding lehenga to other events, this style is the perfect base for a variety of different outfits.
Deep V-Necks By Monica & Karishma
“V necklines are a terrific option at the moment because you can wear them with a lot of heavy jewellery and a thick choker and still look lovely,” adds Shah. Maximalism in bridalwear isn’t about slapping as many items together as possible and labelling it extravagant; rather, it’s about elegantly combining everything you adore.
Puffy Sleeves By Manish Malhotra
Elegance is no longer associated with neutral colours and minimalist décor. Malhotra adds, “For formal events, we’ll see an abundance of voluminous dresses with puffy sleeves.”
