‘Maintaining the integrity of the fabric.’ Ever wondered what that looks like? In a culture that puts nuptials on a pedestal by bestowing a divine significance to the union, what the bride and groom decide to wear on the day, also warrants a collective nod from the ménage. It’s the big day, no chances taken, no oversights entertained. And for the sentimental ones, heirlooms demand the spotlight, for it is the season to honour a new love, enveloped reverently in the ones that came before. Enter creative pioneers who have taken it upon themselves to streamline and to quite an extent, popularise this practice. The result? Not a single dry eye in the room. We sat down with designers Ateev Anand of re-ceremonial, Shruti Sancheti and Gautam Gupta of Asha Gautam to dissect the workings of this enterprising space.
“Brides, these days, are far more conscious and conscientious,” says Anand. “Most of our customers have been in careers that demand mindfulness—whether that’s working in the fields of climate action and sustainability or wellness and spirituality. Their brief to us is usually very clear: They’d like to uphold certain values even when it comes to their bridal ensemble.”
Designer Sancheti is adept at catering to the demands of women looking to honour the heirloom. Some brides are sentimental about wearing the look identical to their mothers or grandmothers, while others simply find comfort in wearing a piece that belonged to the family on their big day. Understanding their perspective is of utmost importance, as we have to, then, work accordingly. We need them to be happy— happy girls make beautiful brides,” she says.
Expanding on the laboriousness of the whole process, Gupta identifies preserving the original essence of the piece as the biggest challenge, especially when the base material is worn out. “In the case of a Banarasi sari that we transformed into a lehenga, the base was quite fragile, so we had to carefully restore the sheen of the zari and resham without damaging the fabric. This required the expertise of skilled weavers and plenty of time to ensure the final result was both beautiful and durable. We had to work slowly and carefully, often under close supervision, to ensure that the embroidery is preserved and integrated seamlessly into the new design.”
Then comes the tussle with a brand’s existing ethos and marrying it with something which was designed years ago. “These inherited pieces, which are treasure troves of intricate work and marvellous ornamentation, have to undergo mending and repair, and the difference in the colour of threads and zari is very difficult to recreate. You then have to look into measurements and pattern drafting, for which we enable healthy discussions and present ideas in the form of swatches, drawings and colour samples so that everyone is on the same page. We try to retain elements and the character of the original as much as possible, but the degree varies from case to case,” elaborates Sancheti.
Anand on the other hand, is mindful of the projects he undertakes. “We don’t take on pieces that are too delicate and difficult to handle. When I used to work with older Banarasi sarees and plant-dyed them to conceal stains, there were instances when we were left with no material. Our quality control is really strong—we don’t take unnecessary risks and make sure we leave enough room for errors. I think what also helps us stay on course, is sampling at every stage. So I’ll make three different types of embroidery samples and swatches before moving forward. There will be people, slightly adamant at first who’ll say, I want it to be like this and like that. But what one has to understand is that it won’t work as a dupatta if it doesn’t drape anymore. And I think they respect our points of view. They come to us because they’re also looking for technical expertise, after all.”
Designers also encounter brides who are unsure of what path to take and tend to rely on their artistic prudence for guidance. Sancheti uses the CPR strategy in such cases. “The four Cs of fashion—cut, colour, construction and cost, along with the four Ps of marketing—product, price, promotion and place. Then we have the four Rs of sustainability—refuse, reduce, reuse and recycle, which we try to incorporate into our design practices and operations. We consciously insist on upcycling or refurbishing heirloom pieces as they have the added advantage of precious memories and emotions which cannot be replicated. It also helps us comply with our own intent towards sustainability,” she says. Good to see designers hold such influence and in turn, nourish a booming segment, giving fierce competition to the evils of overconsumption.
Moments
The two brides—Ishika Saraf and Revati Chaknalwar— featured here are both clients of Sancheti, who have chosen to go down this path. Saraf was keen on replicating her mother’s wedding look for her own pheras, while New York-based trader Chaknalwar wished to honour and subvert tradition at the same time with her bridal ensemble. Saraf was keen on spotlighting her Maharashtrian heritage and incorporating her mother’s shalu (the wedding sari). The designer worked her magic on uniting the bride’s initially fragmented ideas while adding heirloom Maharashtrian laces and borders inherited from her grandmother. “The challenge was, even though they were in good condition, the laces and borders were not enough for the look she had in mind. So achieving the desired result was quite the journey—from using the laces and borders judiciously to incorporating the brand’s signature peacock motif and Paithani-inspired embroidery.”
Anand’s dear friend Misbah wanted a white wedding gown that she could dance in, but something that was also delicate enough to be made out of lace from her own grandmother’s sari. After multiple conversations, they came up with the idea of a two-layer dress—a top layer she could wear to the church and get married in, which could also be taken off showcasing a beautiful strappy dress underneath to dance the night in. “What we did with this lace saree was we didn’t use the whole thing. Only about half of it was utilised because we were able to take that lace and break it up into smaller motifs, which were then appliqued all over the silk on the dress to maintain a sense of delicateness. So she and her mum still share the saree as a lace sari, but parts of it are on Misbah’s wedding gown as well. And that, to me, is super special,” he says.
Read the full story in ELLE India’s new issue, or download your digital copy via Magzter.
