Deepika Padukone and Sonam K Ahuja broke the tradition; proved white is the new red for modern brides – read Sheetal Mafatlal’s exclusive column

The classic and pure hue of white has often been equated with a sense of austerity and grief in Indian culture and sartorial history. There was a time when even the most daring bride and her entourage of bridesmaids wouldn’t pick whites, off-whites, creams and ivories for their wedding functions. The festive reds, pinks, bordeau, and ‘haldi’ (turmeric) yellow enjoyed the spotlight in the bridal galaxy. I wanted something exquisite, unique, and a never-been-done before creation for my wedding reception, from an international couture house. Being a Versace addict for years, I got in touch with Donatella Versace to custom create an Indian ensemble, which was a synonym for modernity, and reflected the undiluted purity and precision of the hallowed atelier’s petite mains.

At the outset, the haute couture house was taken aback with my unusual request as they had never before been approached to design an Indian wedding lehenga. My brief was clear that it had to be something which was a tribute to the late iconic Gianni Versace (my childhood hero), reflecting his mantra ‘one must always dazzle.’ As Donatella explained during our numerous interactions, the motivation to take on this challenge was based on Gianni’s ideology to break barriers and never be afraid of taking a risk.  The incredible Donatella and her dynamic team conceived a first-of-its-kind lehenga for me, which was edged with old Indian antique borders.

The museum-worthy piece is an off kilter combination of their signature chain-mail and embroidered fabric. To complement the sheer dramatic appeal of the lehenga, the choli was artfully encrusted with Swarovski crystals and accented with embroidered gold motifs. The atelier Versace’s magical savoir-faire was evident in the way both, the lehenga and dupatta were kissed with 3-D embroidered, gleaming gold flowers. All in all a stunningly realized artisan-al marriage between Indian/western aesthetic, and the ethos of the couture house. The first Indian lehenga in the history of haute couture to be made by any international luxury house inspired intrigue and attention among the glamourati with international magazines like Point de Vue, Park Avenue and Vogue Italia among other international publications, toasting it in their editorials.

Being a firm believer in haute couture, it was my dream to walk the aisle in a unique ensemble from a heritage house like Versace. And it was finally happening, I couldn’t be happier. I offset the divine white of the ensemble with statement diamond and emerald jewellery. The renowned hair stylist Errol Douglas created an Audrey Hepburn-inspired chignon with a tiara to complete my look. The beautiful memory of that epochal look brings a smile to my face even now. And when I look at the stunningly styled images of Bollywood actresses now, I feel elated that the style stand I took back in the day, is vindicated by the style arbiters of today. White is no longer a taboo tone, but a vibrant wedding colour, and looks magical when accented with metallic tassels, fringes, sequins, kalis and beads.

The New-Age Brides: Sonam K Ahuja and Deepika Padukone

This wedding season, the ‘It’ girls of the moment, Sonam K Ahuja and Deepika Padukone picked classic chikankari creations for their wedding functions, something which was unheard of at one point in time. While Sonam had opted for a multipanelled, multi-hued chikankari lehenga, Ranveer Singh’s better half picked an ensemble, which had tone-on-tone chikankari embroidery, accented with gold, which matched his exquisite Rohit Bal gold/ivory sherwani. I’m of the belief that nothing comes close to the allure of creams, off-whites and beige, which remain relevant and season-less.

The global superstar Priyanka Chopra too broke the cocoons of the tried-and-tested bridal traditional palettes and picked a white Falguni and Shane Peacock ensemble for her reception. Besides the Indian chikankari, designers have toyed with zardozi, resham silk thread and mirror work on fabrics that range from georgette to khadi, all marvellously realised in pristine whites and soothing ivories. The divinity of the visually-arresting white highlighted with gold, silver and bronze accents, injects gravitas to the brides’ personal style on their big day. It’ll be interesting to see how brides in the coming seasons custom-create their own unique looks and reinterpret white and other off the- wall shades in their own handwriting.

– Sheetal Mafatlal