A Bride Start

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Techniques such as appliqué, foiling, hand and machine embroidery have been used on light, fluid fabrics like Chanderi, dupion silk, georgette and tulle. “I have always wanted to do Indian wear, especially saris. Even for my first Gen Next show, I wanted to include Indian wear but decided to do prints instead because of budget constraints,” says the Gurgaon-based designer. With his own wedding due later this month, the designer admits the launch couldn’t have been better timed.

“While I was looking at designing bridal wear for a while, it all fell into place when my fiance and I started shopping for ourselves,” says Chaudhary. The designer says he realised the huge gap in the market when he went looking for traditionally rooted yet experimental bridal ensembles that came at good price points. “There is no dearth of designer collections. Everyone is designing for the bride but I found they don’t cater to all budgets. A wedding lehenga for Rs 3 lakh caters to only a small section,” says the designer, who feels a bride today is looking for novelty as well as smart pricing. No surprise that his costliest bridal outfit, a lehenga, is priced at Rs 75,000. And he is not deterred by the existing competition in the bridal segment.

“I think it’s easiest to make your mark in Indian wear. My designs are for the destination bride as well as someone who is looking for a statement piece without feeling the burden of the price. Apart from formal Indian evening wear, there are resort and day wear garments as well,” he adds. Statement pieces but not at statement prices seems to be his mantra.