Earlier this month we had the pleasure of catching up with some of India’s most highly regarded fashion designers thanks to our friends at Aashni & Co. And because we always love to keep our brides updated with whatever is happening in the world of weddings, we put some very important questions out there to those who are practically ruling the fashion scene – and here’s what they had to say:

 Sabyasachi – ‘Desi is the new cool’

Ok, firstly we just have to say that the mere fact that we got to share the same room as this man was just incredible, so to actually be standing next to him and to have been given the opportunity to ask him questions was a complete privilege (he’s like the Vera Wang of bridal fashion in case you didn’t know). We asked him what the biggest bridal fashion trends in 2016 were going to be and what he said just might surprise you.

“I think tradition is going to be the next big thing in Indian fashion. That’s what the Internet’s done to you; when you get easily connected to the whole world you want to go back to your own roots to identify yourself and say; this is who I am.”

While we could’ve spent hours talking fashion with him, we took away something truly important – don’t be ashamed of who you are, but actually, own it and be proud of your heritage – how’s that for wedding advice?!

Manish Malhotra – ‘Everyone has their own story’

He is without a doubt one of the most celebrated fashion designers in the country. Whether it’s Katrina Kaif or Kareena Kapoor, they’re all fans of his work and rightly so. He’s a designer who’s spent years working in the Bollywood film industry as a stylist prior to launching his own line so he knows exactly what it takes to achieve a full-on glamorous look for your day. We asked him how a bride should decide what to wear.

“Everyone has their own story. Whether it’s a resort wedding, winter wedding or a cross-cultural wedding, every story has it’s own place. I’m interested in the bride’s makeup, hair, jewellery and everything else. It’s not about selling your gown but about being part of one of the most important days of their lives.”

This is perhaps one of the most crucial lessons you can take away when choosing your outfit. You need to take into consideration the setting and style of your event, the time, the country and even your own personality. Everything needs to be in keeping and this is what Manish Malhotra focuses on for his brides – helping them to achieve a gorgeous and complete look.

Anju Modi – ‘Personal characteristics play a strong card’

Echoing our previous designer, Anju Modi spoke to us in great detail about how you need to focus on your own traits and your own personality when choosing an outfit. This is exactly what she had to do when she created the much talked about, award-winning look for Deepika Padukone in Bajirao Mastani. It’s the look she’s constantly being asked to replicate by her brides, and even though her collection is full of long layers and sharaaras, she spoke about where fashion is heading.

“The beautiful rich heritage fabric of our country is coming forward and we are bringing it back with different combinations. We then have the challenge of finding the right balance, embroidery, layering, flare and so on.”

If there’s one woman who knows how to make historical looks rock it’s this lady! She again reinforces the idea that tradition is here to stay and can look modern and chic so don’t hide away from it. Whether you opt for Banaaras or Gujarat, everywhere has something special to offer – it’s about bringing it together the right way.

Masaba – ‘Brides are taking the unconventional route’

Masaba does unconventional and she does it the best. She is not afraid to experiment and be bold – and actually what happens to be rare for a designer – admit to occasionally making a bad decision. But, this is what makes her so relatable to the modern bride. Having recently got married last year herself, Masaba was able to give us some real-life advice which we can pass on to those of you searching for your perfect look.

“The biggest challenge is to decide what you’re going to finally wear because there is so much stuff coming out all the time. For me, finding jewellery that matched was the biggest challenge, so I would advise the bride to actually pick her jewellery first and then choose the outfit accordingly – that’s my tip.”

We were quite surprised by Masaba’s revelation as we’d never even dreamed of advising a bride to go down this route, but actually, thinking about it – makes so much sense. If you’re spending a lot of money on real jewellery then of course it’s got to be just right – and sometimes even decent artificial jewellery is hard to find. What she also happened to reveal was that British brides happen to take the more conventional, traditional route when shopping for their weddings compared to their Indian counterparts – So girls, take a leaf out of Masaba’s book and don’t be afraid to try something new!

Anamika Khanna – ‘Avoid doing too much’

Anamika Khanna was actually the final designer we caught up with, but by no means the least. This lady has taken the industry by storm and knows what she’s talking about, she was after all the first female Indian designer to display her collections at Paris Fashion Week and was offered an exclusive contract by Harrod’s post her participation in London Fashion Week. Her global experience means she knows exactly what works and what doesn’t. So, if you want to know what to avoid, read on.

“A lot of brides in their quest to look their best for their wedding day tend to look so full on. They forget that on the day they’ll have excessive jewellery, perhaps a nose ring, which they haven’t worn before, or something like a tika on their head. With their var-mala and often excessive makeup you sometimes end up looking at everything but the face of the bride.”

It may sound harsh to begin with, but we love Anamika’s openness and blunt honesty. Please take note of what she has to say because it’s so very true. Remember you don’t need to be full on bling on your wedding day to look your best. Sometimes, a simple chic outfit can look just as good. It’s all about finding the right balance. If you feel uncomfortable, then trust us, you’ll probably look it on the day too.

And there you have it, expert advice from India’s very best. If you’ve got any tips of your own that you’d love to share with us then leave a message below or send an email to enquiries@carriagesevents.co.uk

photo credits: Adnan Qazi