Highlights of BMW Fashion Week 2015 and What to Expect

The BMW India Bridal Fashion Week is a high profile bridal couture show held with grand bridal wear displays from the crème de la crème couturiers of the country. BMW is partnering for the second consecutive year with the India Bridal Fashion Week, taking the premium show a notch up. The BMW Fashion week also promotes trade of bridal couture wear and offers a platform for the designers and the buyers to link up through the Bridal Luxury Couture Exposition. This trade show displays, bridal women’s wear, men’s wear, jewellery and accessories from leading as well as emerging designers in a large set-up, over three days.

In 2014, the BMW Fashion Week was held at the DLF Emporio, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi between Aug 7 and Aug 10. This year, looking resplendent in a pink Suneet Verma bridal lehenga and jadau jewellery, Sonakshi Sinha, the face of BMW fashion week 2015, gave us the first look of the event on 29th May 2015. 

This preview gala of the event held at New Delhi, offered an insight into what we can expect at the upcoming show. The BMW Fashion Week 2015 is an initiative of Fashion One International and the unique factor about the show this year is that it will be travelling across the seven cities of India, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Chandigarh. So it has a much larger platform of demonstration as well as trade this year, reaching out to buyers from every nook and cranny of the country.

Here is the schedule of the BMW Fashion Week 2015 

Some of the designers who will be presenting at the event, displayed a preview of their collection at the launch. The designers’ showcase that we will witness at the show includes:

Abu Jani – Sandeep Khosla: Abu Jani – Sandeep Khosla will be opening the show at New Delhi on Aug 7th 2015. The designer duo are bringing forth “the Varanasi” collection at the BMW Fashion week. Their line of Banarasi weaves is interspersed with georgette and khadi. The runway will see more of pinks, reds, oranges and yellows taking inspiration from the bold colours of the holy city.

Suneet Verma: The New Delhi show’s Finale will be at the DLF Emporio under Suneet Verma. The designer has given a glimpse of intricate embroidery on navy blue saree and lehenga, which will be up on Harpers Bazaar Bride too and also a peek of mirror worked red bridal attire.

J J Valaya: The pro bridal wear couturier will present his collection “Bolshoi Bazaar” at the BMW Fashion week, so we expect to see some Russian inputs to the Indian elegance. Nitya Arora, the accessory designer behind Valliyan has confirmed that her headgear will be seen on the models wearing Valaya’s collection.

Tarun Tahiliani: The 2014 show had an apt opening runway performance called “The Modern Mughals” under the helm of Tarun Tahiliani. This year he is going to present a myriad of colours at the BMW fashion week 2015. His sneak peek keeps the colours under a wrap, displaying a sheer rhinestone studded dupatta.

Ashima – Leena: Ashima - Leena's “Dakshna” will be a South Indian Bridal attire revelation. The hint of the bride with decorated braid and crown jewellery will become a reality soon.

Gauri and Nainika: Gauri and Nainika will be displaying cocktail wear at the BMW Fashion Week 2015. Their teasers reveal addition of texture to fabric through ruched floral petals arranged in patterns.

Shantanu and Nikhil: The designers' preview of bold red couture invites us to indulge in their collection. They will be presenting “the Mahal” collection at the BMW Fashion Week 2015.

Rina Dhaka, Jyotsna Tiwari, Falguni Shane Peacock and Sulakshana Monga are the other couturiers who will be displaying their bridal fineries at their absolute best.

Last year the BMW Fashion Week saw lot of eminent Bollywood personalities gracing the runways as showstoppers. These well known faces included Shraddha Kapoor, Nargis Fakhri, Aditi Rao Hydari, Esha Gupta and Kangana Ranaut. The BMW Fashion Week 2015 will see Lisa Haydon walking for Tarun Tahiliani. Sonakshi Sinha, the brand ambassador of the event will grace J J Valaya’s show.

The magic of BMW India Bridal Fashion Week begins today, and its mystery will be unravelled leisurely across the seven cities of India over a period of time, finally ending in Chennai on November 22, 2015.

Image Source: Designer' twitter, India Bridal Fashion Week facebook page and www.bmw.in

Indian Bridal Wear 2015 - From Ramp to Reality

Every bride dreams of looking like a million bucks on her wedding day. When a sea of people are looking and analysing your choice of hairdo, make up and bridal outfit, you surely feel a lot of pressure. And to make everyone go gaga over you, one has to look the best on the D-day. So, if you are walking down the aisle this year, let us help you take a cue on the trending Indian bridal wear 2015.

This year, both Lakme Fashion Week and Amazon India Fashion week 2015 showcased plethora of trends including outstanding bridal wear for all the fashion savvy bride-to-be’s out there. Here’s the list of awe-inspiring Indian bridal wear 2015 trends that are beyond obvious and will win your heart:

Feed your soul with more than one Colour
Gone are the days when brides used to choose just the shades of red for their bridal outfit. The new age bride is all about experimenting with colours and cuts. The ace designer Ashima Leena worked on this idea and presented her multi-coloured collection for the Indian bridal wear 2015.The collection featured contrasts in hues like bright yellows and pinks and some metallics tuned with subtle pastels. Go beyond the obvious with this multicolour trend and stand out!

Ashima Leena Design

Gold never goes out
Gold and silver motifs, beads and embroideries never go out of vogue. Indian bridal wear of 2015 also emphasised on the golden accents to the large extent. Gold embroideries are perfect for occasions like cocktail and reception parties.

New hue on the charts
Channel your inner diva by opting for Anamika Khanna’s black and white risque collection for your wedding functions. This classic contrast will surely make you a head turner and crowd-pleaser.

Anamika Khanna Design

Add neon to your wardrobe
Indian bridal wear 2015 is not restricted to the usual colours but a lot more than that. This season you can get bold and beautiful by adding the splash of neon colour to your wedding wear. Anushree Reddy showed us how neon colours can brighten your wedding attire with bright pinks and sunshine yellows.

Anushree Reddy Design

Let Prints do the talking
When larger-than-life prints are combined with sophisticated fabrics like silk, the result is just spectacular. Neha Aggarwal displayed her latest collection of lively prints which is perfect Indian bridal wear 2015 for outdoor weddings and brunches.

Neha Aggarwal Design

Simplicity at its best
Indian bridal wear 2015 is not just about over the top embellished outfits, but sometimes a simple garment speaks volumes. Gaurang Shah’s collection is one such kind. Simple patterns and minimal designs along with deep colours are a great choice for occasions like your mehndi or bangle ceremony.

Gaurang Shah Design

Time to flaunt your abs
If you are sweating hard in the gym to get the envious abs, it’s time to flaunt it. Here, crop tops and cholis come to your rescue. Crop tops paired with high-waist lehengas or palazzos is definitely the most ‘in’ thing for the season . It hides the stomach while showing just the right amount of skin.

Mix and Match
Indian bridal wear 2015 calls for creativity by playing with different fabrics in one garment. Designers came out with an edgy concept of combining different fabrics in one outfit either by layering it up one over the other or by pairing heavy fabric along with the soft ones to create an illusion of volume.

So all you gorgeous brides-to-be, embrace these styles and put your best foot forward!

The Indian Runway Bride: Different Indian Bridal Looks

The coy Indian bride has come a long way and what we see today is a confidant woman who dresses according to her taste, individual style and culture for her big day. She is more of East meets West and the fusion can be seen in today’s bridal wear. The different Indian bridal looks have a more global approach nowadays.

In India mainly the bridal wear comprises of a saree, lehenga, salwaar kameez or an anarkali suit. The events associated with the Indian weddings like the Sangeet, Mehendi, Haldi and the cocktail party have also opened doors for different Indian bridal looks to suit the event. Adding to it the cultural diversity brings out more Indian bridal looks like the South Indian, Maharashtrian, Gujarati, Bengali or the North Indian bride. 

When we consider the saree, it is no longer the age old attire. The blouse worn with the saree has undergone a huge transformation. Sometimes it is the show stealer from the saree, and gives that edge to the outfit. The sarees also portray a look with jackets and sometimes instead of the unstitched drape brides also go for a fitted saree.

Here are some of the modern Indian bridal looks:

Applique and zari saree

Pre-draped Saree

Crystal blouse

Culturally in India the saree is more popular as bridal wear in Maharashtra, Bengal, Orissa and down South. We can see the brides from there decked in Kanjivaram, Banarasi or Paithani style silk sarees.

Bengali bride in red and white banarasi saree

The South Indian Kanjeevaram

Maharashtrian Paithani saree (Source: Pinterest)

The lehenga originated from the north of India but has gained popularity across regions as bridal wear. It has a heavily embroidered skirt teamed with a blouse and stole. The lehengas can be paired with a Gujarati style shorter blouse with bare midriff or the Northern style longer fitted jacket type blouse. The elaborately done lehenga with a big flare gives a royal princess look because of which it has become popular with the girls today.

Opulent red lehenga

Four piece lehenga

Traditional Gujarati inspired Lehenga

The Anarkali suit again due to its flare and volume like the lehenga is a great bridal choice. The difference is that in an Anarkali suit the top is one piece almost reaching the ankles and it is generally worn with churidar pants below. The look is completed with an embroidered stole, or the new trend, a jacket.

Anarkali jacket set

Red embroidered anarkali

The salwaar kameez bride can generally be seen in Punjab region of India. This outfit is preferred by the Indian ladies as daily wear or office formals due to the comfort factor. This outfit however will offer a subtle bridal look as compared to the sarees and lehengas.

Beige Salwar suit

In the cocktail parties of the modern day Indian bride, the gowns have also found a place. The Indian bridal looks with gowns can be traditionally inspired or can have a complete modern feel to it.

Corset Gown with traditional embroidery

Modern gown

A bride can mix and match from the plethora of the different Indian bridal looks for her big event. She can wear the traditionally relevant (depending upon her family’s lineage) saree or lehenga for her wedding day and opt for contemporary bridal wear for other events.

A wedding is a once in a lifetime affair, so brides, show all your Indian bridal looks with all the show stopping attires. The wedding runway is all yours!

Modern Indian Bride Trends for Summer 2015

Nowadays, the modern Indian bride is more elegant and confident and is aware of all the latest news and trends about bridal fashion.

The modern Indian bride chooses each individual element of her wedding outfit by herself, such as the fabrics, the colours, motifs and embroidery or ornamentation. For the trend following ladies, here is what’s trending for the upcoming wedding season.

Reception

The future bride is more open about design and colour, and should opt for an avant-garde piece for her reception day. Known fashion enthusiast Tanya Vaishya prefers nude colours teamed with a gold gown with a long train at the back. For this kind of gown, you can opt for fabrics such as tanchoi, georgette, raw silk or lycra. As a young bride, Tanya Vaishya wanted to wear a modernised outfit to break the rules of the traditional Indian bride.

The Engagement Attire

For the engagement, the ensemble has to reflect the feminine curves of a women, including her neck and her waist. Fashion blogger Natasha Niturkar, focuses on the cut and silhouette of the wedding gowns and the placement of the embroidery. In her opinion, the bride has to opt for innovative bridal outfits made of chiffon, net or chanderi silk in shades like pink, rani, green and turquoise.

The Cocktail Dress

The modern Indian bride wants an outfit that enhances her unique personality and her passion for couture. Fashion designer Payal Bhatia, thinks that every bride has to wear an outfit that reflects her feelings and moods. She can opt for vintage techniques such as mirrors, crystals, zardozi, sequins and gota, that will portrays a unique self expression in her ensemble. Nowadays, people prefer wearing gowns to cocktail parties, gowns are more elegant to wear, and perfectly enhance the modern silhouette when teamed with vibrant colours. Some example of stunning modern gowns can include a leather look ballroom gown or an off-shoulder and fish tail cut that will reflects the elegance of a women. For the fabric of the gown, opt for shimmering lycra in 3D textures or stretch lycra.

The Mehendi Outfit

The main focus of the outfit is the versatility and mixture of two different cultures: indo-western fusion. The main element that will evolve your outfit into something beautiful and extravagant is through the use of digital printed fabrics and techniques, as well as 3D embroidery that is a new and exciting revelation in bridal fashion. For Arti Tackle it is better to go for a  short crop top with a full-length box pleated skirt that will portray a modern look. 

For the Haldi Ceremony

For this kind of ceremony, the modern Indian bride can opt for a free-spirited outlook. Fashion lover Komal Hudda, prefers seeing a saree gown with stunning hand embroidery and draping, which will create a perfect fusion of cultural modernity and richness. It’s always better to break away from the traditional norms of a Indian bridal outfit. You can also opt for a a top and dhoti skirt combo, which will look extremely trendy for a Haldi ceremony.

Be Original on your Wedding Day

Well known fashionista Roma Madan has always been open to new trends when it comes to clothing. For her, the colour is what will a key element to find the perfect Indian wedding outfit. For example, a fusion of green light weight embroidered dupatta teamed  with gold net and silk brocade will eb sure to make a bride stand out. The bride should opt for exclusive jewellery to go with her outfit to complete this modern and vibrant look. 

Now, with all this different advice from various famous Indian people, you have all you need to have the latest styles of the Indian modern bride of today.

Top 6 Bridal Outfits by Famous Indian Designers

When the special day of every Indian women arrives, they have to choose the perfect bridal outfit for their wedding day. Let’s have a look at some different ideas and inspirations from six leading Indian designers to help every future Indian bride to choose their personal style depending on their personality.

Desi Modern by Anita Dongre

For Anita Dongre, the bride in this case ultimately wants to look like a modern Indian woman. Wearing a lehenga with the conventional and traditional colour of red teamed with a trendy crop top style choli, will be a perfect option to represent the modern’s bride contemporary thought process. Here, the trend is more about the independent woman who is free-spirited, with a fashion style philosophy of a nonconformist.

Glam Girl by Arjun Kapoor and Anjallee

In the past, Indian brides were used to not making any personal decisions about their wedding organisation or even the outfit, because it was always the parents that selected everything for the special day. However, nowadays in a contemporary world,  and the new bride feels more classy and confident with her way of thinking. Also, now brides know everything about the latest fashion trends to choose their perfect bridal outfit, because they know exactly what they want according to their design sensibility. For this two designers, the perfect bride will opt for deep colours with a mix of different fabrics, various motifs and floral embroidery.

Global Bride by Monisha Jaising

Here, the bride is more about feeling young and sexy in her ensemble. Her perspective of life is free-spirited, so the outfit will be a mix between two cultures and lifestyles of the west and east countries. The bridal outfit can have 3D embroidery, eccentric design and digital printing techniques and fabrics, but for the moment this kind of outfit is extremely unique and has hasn't  been seen until recently in Indian bridal fashion.

Quirky Bride by Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla

The bride designed for by Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla wants to reflect through the ensemble, her love for couture and her creative personality and spirit. Obviously, this contemporary woman wants to look at her best for her wedding day, but she also wants to feel unique. For this to happen, the bride must opt for vintage techniques in her ensemble, such as crystals, sequins, mirror work and zardozi. She will look classy and elegant in her traditional silhouette full of bright colours.

Royal Choice by Ritu Kumar

We all know that the bride of today has a perfectly clear understanding of fashion and class. She also knows a lot about technique and colours. Knowing that she’s more open-minded, she can choose an avant-garde piece by wearing a three-piece bridal outfit made up of a kurta and dupatta. To stand out in the crowd. It will look great teamed with a gold net and tanchoi silk brocade with turquoise and green stripes of patched silk.

Girl Power by Neha Modi

Here, the bride by Neha Modi is more about femininity, she looks delicate, shy, fun loving and graceful. This woman can wear an ensemble that enhances the feminine curve of her scooped back and elegant neck. The embroidery has to be perfectly placed, and will add all the drama. It’s better to opt for a lehenga with soothing shades like green, rani pink or turquoise.

Selfie Stick: New Trend Not to Be Missed

Nowadays, trends come and go extremely quickly, and the big trend of today is the selfie stick. In other words, it’s also known as the “narcissi-sticks”, because it’s meaning more and more people are taking photos of themselves, and transforming phone images into photo-shoots.

In case you haven’t yet heard of the selfie stick, it is nothing more than a metal stick device with Bluetooth inside that can be paired with smartphones. Now, everyone time want to take a selfie, you can position your mobile phone in a selfie stick and have a new interesting perspective for a photograph.

The main purpose behind this new trend is ultimately to take better shots, including a wider background, amazing angles and obviously is a lot more stable to take multiple photographs.

This trend has taken off across the Globe, and especially across a number of Indian cities.

Everywhere you go, touristic places or even in the street, you will now see people using their selfie stick smiling and giggling, to take a group photo. This trend also means you now don’t have to stop and ask someone in the street to take a picture of you and your friends!

This concept is extremely popular in India, and especially at Indian weddings, as you can now take wedding selfies with more people.

In the beginning of this new concept, some retailers began to sell the product in their stores, both physical and e-commerce, such as Amazon and Flipkart. But now, you can find these sticks almost everywhere.

Some people have said that this trend began in the extreme sports community, because of similar devices for the GoPro camera, and others said that it was born in Asia.

However, the selfie stick can’t be used in some places like museums and other touristic places. It has been banned in Britain’s National Gallery (London), at Palace of Versailles (Paris), at Rome’s Colosseum and even in different museums in the US. For the major part of them it is because of the objects on exhibition inside museums and a question of security.

In Brazil, the selfie stick is also banned in soccer stadiums, because during rival games people have been known to act out and use the selfie stick as a weapon to fight other people.

Top 2015 Tips and Trends for Indian Beach Weddings

Beach weddings are becoming more and more popular, and we can definitely understand why! A light fashion filled suitcase, tanning necessities, and flowers in your hair, what more could you want! But it’s not always that simple, with a number of beach events it’s hard to know what bridal Indian wear to select to suit both the event and the destination.

Here are our top 2015 tips and beach wedding trends:

What to wear to the beach:

Swimsuits are a must for a beach wedding, and 2015 is all about going all-out with your swimwear choices! Think Fringing, bright prints and sexy cut outs. If you are not completely comfortable bearing all in a minimal swimsuit, team with a flowing kaftan or light jacket for the perfect layering technique.

Further to the cover-ups, kaftans and floaty jumpsuits in bright and sunny tones make for a perfect combo when it comes to beach wear. Go for simple prints or all block colours so not to over-power your outfit.

What to wear to the cocktail wedding party:

This can be tricky, as you want to dress to impress but also want something that is both easy and comfortable to wear. Go for sheer materials or glamorous sparkles and you are sure to stand out. Opt for a mid or full-length outfit for a classy and glamorous look.

What to wear to the brunch:

The day after you may be dealing with a bit of a sore head, but if you dress to impress no one will know! Opt for soft  cheerful colours and floaty styles– the loose maxi dress is coming back for 2015 and creates an effortlessly elegant look!

Now here’s the tricky bit, what Indian bridal wear to choose for the wedding:

For the bride: Opt for fresher and brighter tones than a traditional Indian bridal wear colour palette which normally comprise of deep burgundy, gold’s, and dark greens, and go for sunny hues such as yellow and bright reds. Opt for subtle and pretty embellishments to stay perfectly in synch with the beautiful and chilled landscape.

For the friends of the bride: Opt for more contemporary Indian bridal wear like classy palazzo pants with pretty tunics, simple and subtle full skirted lehengas teamed crop tops, elegant and light gowns and sheer saris in bright colours, for elegant and comfortable looks. Add fun and quirky turbans and fresh flowers to your hair for that exotic beach look!

Sources: Vogue India

Bridal Lehengas: On Trend Bridal Styles

Indian traditional wear comes in many different forms, such as sarees, salwar kameez and not forgetting the number one favourite, the lehenga. In an Indian wedding, family of the bride and groom, especially the women, can even spend months deciding what to wear. However, the most challenging decision is definitely the bride’s wedding dress. She is the heart of attention and her attire is what matters the most within the big day. For an Indian bride, especially brides from the North, the favoured bridal outfit is bridal lehengas, traditionally a combination of long skirt, blouse and stole.

There are many different lehenga trends, and until a few years back contemporary were most popular and now traditional lehengas suddenly seem to be most in demand on the scene. Thanks to Bollywood movies and popular television shows, Indian brides are now choosing to go extremely traditional when it comes to picking their bridal lehengas.

A lehenga is usually a full pleated long lengh skirt in a number of colours such as burnt orange, pinks, reds, maroon, greens and yellow. The cut and shape of the blouse has recently been modernised, brides are now teaming their bridal lehenga with everything from small patterned crop tops to tightly fitted corsets.

Recent and popular lehenga trends include that of ‘Village Chic’, which includes rich and bright contrasting colours which emulate the floral prints well known cotton fabrics, but in contrast, this trend is extremely luxurious with art sliks, heavily detailed handmade embroidery and thick patched floral motifs. This rejuvenated trend is the prefect balance of down to earth and fancy!

Another recent popular trend is ‘Polychromatic’ lehengas. Contrasting colours are a go-to trend this season, take a chance on a stand out tasteful multicolor palette that breaches past just two or three shades. The playful contrast of colours will bring the perfect spontaneity a bridal outfit.

The latest trends in bridal lehengas are also to do with the style of embellishments and detail on the skirt. Today, the traditional style is complete with heavy borders of gota patti work or intricately detailed embroidery which is currently in huge demand!