With just 48 hours left for the Akash Ambani-Shloka Mehta engagement, the preparations are in full swing — Dolly Jain, the Ambanis’ go-to drape artist has been flown in to Mumbai; Californian floral designer, Karen Tran, has begun decorating the Ambani’s 27-storey skyscraper, Antilia; luxury wedding planner Seven Steps Wedding is on top of managing the event; French luxury bakery Laduree is prepping scrumptious delicacies. Dolly — whose clientele includes the likes of Sonam and Rhea Kapoor, Mira Kapoor, Dia Mirza and Rekha — lets us in on the craziness and tells us what’s it like to work with the bride-to-be, Shloka, and her sister-in-law to-be, Isha Ambani.
“Today, the Ambani family has planned a puja at their home, followed by a dinner,” says Dolly. The dinner is proving to be a big bash, with the best of Bollywood showing up in their finest:
Shloka and Isha look stunning in their Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla ensembles:
Also, there’s a five tier cake just waiting to be devoured:
“The main event is on June 30, and I am planning a dramatic look for Shloka, unlike anything ever seen on her before,” reveals Dolly, who last worked with Shloka for her sister Diya’s wedding in Bahrain. “That time, I wanted to keep the focus on her sister, but I still gave Shloka new and different looks for all the functions — including a fusion drape, a Gujarati drape and a nivi drape — and she effortlessly carried them all,” says Dolly.
“Shloka’s style is easy and non-fussy — you will mostly find her casually dressed in jeans and simple tops — and every time I’ve styled her, she’s done due justice to the look,” she says. “She cooly lets us — whether it is me or make-up artist Mickey Contractor — handle it as she trusts that we’re going to do our best on her.”
Picture courtesy: Pinterest
Isha, on the other hand, is not a blank canvas. She is clear in her instructions and she knows exactly what she wants. “Isha’s clarity makes it simpler for me to style her,” says Dolly, who draped the Sabyasachi lehenga that she wore to her marriage announcement in May in a traditional Gujarati style.
Dolly, who has worked with top-notch celebrities and the best artists in the industry for years, has figured out styling hacks that will not only save you on your big day, but will also save your expensive wedding ensembles. She lets us in on her secrets.
5 professional styling hacks for draping a sari:
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