Planning a wedding can be quite a herculean task to manage between guest lists, catering, gifting and decor. Then comes the biggest question—‘What do I wear?’ That’s where Tanya Vohra steps in as your knight in shining armour. We spoke to the founder of CLAD, a boutique styling service for couples and families looking for answers to all things wedding shopping and styling. Tanya Vohra’s approach to style is at once dependable and contemporary. Having solidified her credibility as one of India’s leading celebrity stylists, her decade-long career is speckled with milestone moments — from the enviable distinction of having defined the style sensibilities of stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Virat Kohli, Anushka Sharma, and Varun Dhawan to the implicit trust of the fashion world’s most accomplished individuals, Vohra is the best stylist to have onboard to consult for your wedding needs.
Former Fashion Editor at a reputed international magazine, she’s now dedicated to realising the genesis of a new vision: one that elevates the Indian wedding shopping experience to new heights for both the couple and their families. Vohra will introduce her clients to the widest world of design possibility and allow them intimate access to her wealth of knowledge and networks, all the while working to provide the kind of personalised wedding styling service that’s been unavailable in the country till now, be it for your mehendi, sangeet, cocktail party, reception, wedding day, and everything else in between — and even after.
ELLE: What inspired you to start CLAD?
Tanya Vohra (TV): I found a gap in the wedding styling space right around the time I got engaged. My husband and his family live in Singapore, so when it came to shopping for our engagement and then wedding, they had no idea where and how to get started. Since I used to work with an international magazine, I had a personal equation with many fashion designers and had them design custom outfits for our wedding. That’s when I realised most NRIs don’t have this kind of access and thought: How exciting it would be to bridge this gap while also being able to collaborate with these creative geniuses.
ELLE: Could you describe the range of services CLAD offers to brides, grooms, and their families?
TV: We launched CLAD as an exclusive men’s wedding styling service and organically branched into styling brides, their families, and friends, conceptualising pre-wedding and engagement shoots and personal shopping for the trousseau.
We start with an evaluation of the style goals of both the bride and the groom. After a few interactions, CLAD identifies the colour palettes, accents, fabrics, silhouettes and customisations best suited to the couple and puts together several options for them to choose from. Once the couple has shortlisted outfits and designers that reflect their style, CLAD sets up appointments with them. At this stage, their ideas can be refined, and they can get advice from the best in the industry. These appointments can be in-person or virtual. CLAD’s network of fashion designers includes Tarun Tahiliani, Anamika Khanna, Gaurav Gupta, Faraz Manan, Raghvendra Rathore and Anita Dongre.
We make vision boards and assemble collections of outfits, fabrics, and embroideries we think will work well, which we present to the couple to assess. Finally, we coordinate all their orders, manage deliveries, and help with fittings and alterations. We also have an in-house jewellery specialist, Deepa Vohra, who works with the couple to identify and suggest jewellery to complement the outfits for each day.
ELLE: How do you ensure each couple’s unique style and preferences are reflected in their wedding looks?
TV: Since CLAD is a boutique styling service, we only take up a certain number of weddings each year. The main reason for this is also that we like to work with brides who are different from one another and have a unique vision for their wedding day. When you work with clients from different ethnicities and cultures, incorporating their style and vision happens organically, making each of them and their weddings stand out in their own way.
ELLE: How would you describe the impact of celebrity style and weddings on real brides and grooms?
TV: It’s very natural for brides and grooms to get influenced by what they’re constantly consuming on their screens, and the same goes for stylists too. Having said that, while it helps to take inspiration from movies, celebrities or even other real-life couples, it needs to be met with a healthy balance of looks that stand the test of time. You don’t want to end up following trends and styles that you don’t necessarily love and end up regretting later.
ELLE: How do you help couples and families balance environmental responsibility with wedding shopping?
TV: Sustainability is a very important aspect of our philosophy and ethos. Quality is of utmost importance when recommending a designer or an outfit. Designers, too, encourage and help you repurpose your bespoke outfits so that you can wear them more often. There are many ways to rewear your outfits, like removing cancans from lehengas and tweaking blouses to make them lighter. Of course, one of the easiest ways to do this is to avoid buying heavily embroidered pieces, ones you’ll barely be able to move in and can only be worn once. Talk to the stylist or designer you’re working with, and they will come up with ideas to make your wedding trousseau unique at the same time, sustainable and re-wearable.
ELLE: What advice would you give couples just beginning to explore personalised wedding wardrobes?
TV: Being able to personalise and customise your wedding outfits is a huge game changer. It will set you apart and make your wedding wardrobe personal. With social media, everything has become so accessible—I don’t think any bride or groom investing in couture would want to see their wedding outfits being worn by a celebrity or influencer on social media before their special day, and that’s where customisation comes in.
I always recommend that clients use an outfit they’ve liked only as inspiration or a starting point. We then work to personalise it based on their colour and embellishment preferences and silhouettes that work best for their body type. So, in the end, you’re not completely oblivious to what it’s going to look like, but at the same time, you’ve got yourself an outfit that’s made just for you.
ELLE: Where do you see CLAD, and what is its role going forward?
TV: When we launched CLAD in 2020, the concept of wedding stylists was still quite new. It has taken us some time to introduce this service to clients across the globe and for them to see its value. That’s definitely changed now—we’ve become one of the first few consultants to get on board, and they often seek our help in identifying and shortlisting other consultants. I only see this space growing exponentially from here on out.
Read the full story in ELLE India’s new issue, or download your digital copy via Magzter.
