Punjabi Wedding Bangles - A Quintessential Piece of Jewelry for a Punjabi Bride!

A wedding affair is a beautiful amalgamation of rituals and religion. This auspicious occasion is the most awaited moment for both bride and groom. Marriage holds a prominent place in a person’s life; Indian weddings especially are an event to remember. It is a perfect blend of celebration, love, laughter, joy and sacred ceremonies. And when it comes to the bride, the jewelry, make-up and her bridal outfit becomes talk of the town.

An Indian bride oozes glamour, dolled up in her bridal attire and bedecked and bejewelled on her wedding day. North Indian weddings, particularly Punjabi weddings are celebrated with great pomp and show. The prominence of jewelry is very evident in a Punjabi matrimony. Apart from manglasutra, Punjabi wedding bangles also called as chura is the most significant accessory for the bride. This piece of jewelry is compulsory for the bride to wear as per the tradition.

Chura or Punjabi wedding bangles are not just an ornament that prettifies a bride but also have traditional relevance. Let’s contemplate on how and why chura is crucial for a Punjabi bride.

What is Chura?

It is a set of 21 studded stack-able wedding bangles. Traditionally, these are in red and white colour but with the changing times, girls love to experiment it with the shades of pink, maroon, pearl white, ivory and orange. These gorgeous Punjabi wedding bangles come in different striking designs studded with jarkans and crystals. Also, various patterns like a design of peacock or a swirled flower enhances its beauty. Usually, the bangles are 21 in number but nowadays people adjust the number according to their belief. But it has to be an odd number as it is considered lucky for the bride.

Why a bride needs to wear it?
A bride is supposed to wear the chura as it symbolises the transition of a girl into a married woman. Also, it is believed that chura brings fortune and fertility to the bride. A bride is required to wear these Punjabi wedding bangles for a period of 40 days to one year. If a bride gets pregnant during the first year, she has to take it off and replace with either glass, metal or gold bangles.

How is chura ceremony performed?
Chura ceremony is performed on the morning of wedding day. The girl’s maternal uncle performs the rituals related to these Punjabi wedding bangles. First of all, the chura is dipped in a bowl full of milk and rose petals. It is believed that it purifies the chura and ward off the evil eye. Then, the relatives put the bangles on the bride’s wrist and bestow blessings on her. They wish for her happy married life and her husband’s well-being. The girl is not supposed to see her chura till she is completely ready in her bridal attire. After one year, in-laws arrange a ceremony to take off the chura and replace it with glass bangles.

Punjabi weddings are known for their customs and rituals. These are not just fascinating but also crucial from the tradition point of view. And no Punjabi wedding is complete without the Punjabi wedding bangles!

BMW India Bridal Fashion Week 2015 is Ready To Start

The seventh edition of BMW India Bridal Fashion Week 2015 will start on July 15. This huge event promises to be spectacular. This year, people will travel to seven different cities of India, it will be the first time that the show will extend across cities of India. Obviously, for the first day, it will begin in the capital to then showcase in Mumbai, Chandigarth, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chennai and Bangalore.

This BMW India Bridal Fashion Week 2015 will last for five days. We have already all the dates of the event: July 15 for Delhi, August 13 for Mumbai, September 2 for Hyderabad, September 23 for Chandigarth, October 7 for Ahmedabad, October 28 for Bangalore, November 18 for Chennai.

This year, it will be the BMW 6 series Gran Coupe as the new car model for the title sponsor. Besides, there is also the brand Swarovski that will be a fashion partner of this event.

The Bollywood actress Sonakshi Sinha has been announced to be the brand ambassador of this BMW India Bridal Fashion Week 2015. We learned this news during the gathering for the event, there were also present all the designers that will showcase on this edition.

Sonakshi Sinha shared her association “Dabangg” with the event. She told to IANS that she think that designers has prepared amazing creations and she might want to be part of this year’s event. She always thought that all these designers are nowadays so well-known in this area, they are on the top of Indian fashion that she wanted one day to be part of this, and showcase some of their creations. For the actress the dream came true, the day will arrive soon when this event will begin.

We have all the names of the designers that will participate to another season in bridal couture this year. The fashion gala includes big Indian fashion names such as Anita Dongre, Falguni Shane Peacock, JJ Valaya, Rina Dhaka, Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla, Gauri Nainika, Suneet Varma, Ashima Leena, Shantanu Nikhil and Tarun Tahiliani. 

We know that Tarun Tahiliani’s collection for this edition will focus on light clothes. He thought that having bridal clothes too much ceremonial and heavy is not cool. For him, the generation of today prefers wearing fine and light clothes.

The founder and managing director of India Bridal Fashion Week, Vijay Singh, said that this year the event would be better and bigger with great and talented designers, and in different parts of India.

The Important Types of Indian Jewellery

Jewellery has been an integral part of Indian culture. Owing to the rich heritage, there are different types of Indian jewellery to decorate each and every body part. There are hair ornaments, earrings, nose pins, necklaces, waistbands, armlets, bracelets, finger rings, anklets, toe rings and many more. Furthermore, due to India’s diverse culture each piece has a lot of variation in terms of craftsmanship and style. The following is a quick preview of the important types of Indian jewellery based on traditional craftsmanship.

• Meenakari Jewellery – These types of Indian jewellery use brightly coloured enamel pigments fused with gold or silver in intricate patterns derived from nature like flowers, vines or animal forms. Invented in Iran, the Mongols spread the craft to India and other countries. The craft is practised more in Jaipur, Udaipur, Delhi and Banaras.

Source: www.bhagwatijeweller.in

• Kundan Jewellery - In this type a gold foil is used to set gem stones on the base mounting piece of gold. This art originated in the royal courts of Rajasthan and Gujarat and was highly patronised during the Mughal era. Kundan is known for very elaborate and heavy necklace sets in gold. The royal appearance of Kundan makes it an important part of the types of Indian jewellery. The art is practised in Rajasthan.

Source: www.strandofsilk.com

• Jadau/ Jadtar Jewellery – This jewellery has uncut diamonds (polki), gems, crystals or beads embedded in gold which is first lightly melted. The embellishments on gold are attached without any adhesives or carvings. Jadau work has Mughal descent and is practised in Rajasthan and Gujarat since Mughal era.

Source: www.mumbaigloss.in

• Pachchikam Jewellery - This type of jewellery has a crude execution in which its beauty lies. It generally uses silver as the base metal and uncut semiprecious stones and glass work are pressed onto the metal. It originated in Rajasthan and Kutch region of India.

Source: www.utsavpedia.com

• Thewa Jewellery - Taking an important place in the types of Indian jewellery, this is an art where intricately designed gold sheets are embossed on molten glass. It originated in Rajasthan under the Mughal influence. The designer, Roopa Vohra, has popularised it through her work.

Source: www.jaipurblog.in

• Temple Jewellery - This jewellery was used to adorn the Hindu idols of gods and goddesses in temples. It was later worn by the temple dancers and then it found its way into the bridal trousseau. The stones used in the jewellery are called kemp stones. It originated in the South of India during the reign of Chola dynasty.

Source: www.onlinejewelryclass.biz

• Filigree jewellery - In this art silver is made into thin wires and then the thin wires are fused together and bent to create intricate patterns. It originated in Egypt and Mesopotamia and the Indian filigree work is Greek inspired. In India fine filigree work can be seen in Orissa and Andhra Pradesh.

Source: www.polyvore.com

Looking at the types of Indian jewellery, from the time of the Maharajahs till today the Indian adornment has undergone a lot of transformation. Taking inspiration from the crafts of India the contemporary fashion jewellery has branched out.

Contemporary fashion jewellery

Indians love gold but due to heavy nature of the metal, the modern girl looks for something more contemporary that suits her lifestyle. Today’s designers have answered her quest by marrying ancient crafts with modern materials. The results are lightweight, uniquely designed amazing pieces to go with contemporary attire. Contemporary fashion jewellery takes an important place in the types of Indian jewellery and the creations of some renowned designers can be found on Strand of Silk, the website for contemporary designer wear. 

Meenakari drop bead earrings by Sannam Chopra

Antique finish kundan earrings by Shillpa Purii

Gold jadau cuff by Diagold

Temple inspired jewellery by Roopa Vohra

Roopa Vohra’s blue peacock thewa inspired cuff on lacquer

Filigree earrings by Roopa Vohra

Orange filigree clutch by Meera Mahadevia

The other types of Indian jewellery are the flamboyant bridal jewellery using gold and gem stones, and the new age subtle jewellery using other metals like platinum and sterling silver, with diamonds. One important member of the types of Indian jewellery is antique jewellery which is generally passed on as heirloom through families and has a dull, old world charm to it. So if you are looking to buy Indian jewellery, you will have trouble shopping, as sky is the limit!

LAKME FASHION WEEK SUMMER/RESORT 2015 INFOGRAPHIC

This infographic shows you the success of 10 selected Indian designers on Social Media (Facebook), specifically related to their collections presented at the Lakme Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2015. The group comprises of 5 young designers and 5 senior designers. Which group do you think engaged fans the most?

Source: Strand of Silk

Indian Fashion Style: Sarees V's Gowns

We are recently seeing a lot of photographs on  social media with the specific tag #100sareepact. It is two innovative women who have started this new buzz, as they want to encourage the fact that wearing saree in the workplace is a great and stylish option.

This new virtual platform created by these two women is a space where people can celebrate their memories of sarees. All participants in this pact are attempting to wear a 100 saris before the end of this year. Since the creation of this website, there has already been 4000 visits and 1400 women who have participated. The concept is really simple, the person has to post a picture and explain how they feel when wearing a saree into the workplace.

But obviously, the pair want to go further with this, and not just wear sarees in the office, but begin to bring the saree back on the red carpet, instead of seeing the same thing over and over again: gowns. We used to see a lot of sarees on the red carpet with the previous generation of Bollywood actors such as Hema and Rekha Malini, who always showed up for ceremonies in stunning Kanjeevarams or subtle chiffons.

Before, Bollywood celebrities wore what they liked and looked good, based on their tastes instead of following all trends, what people wore was not so important. Nowadays, it’s different as everyone tends to follow trends of the moment to look stylish.

At Cannes 2015, we saw the Bollywood actress Sonam Kapoor make an outstanding appearance with her voluminous gown. After this appearance, she then attended a press conference wearing a extremely unique fluffy outfit, although this choice of outfit was not such a success. The look was more suited for a teenager going to prom night!

The idea of bringing back more traditional clothes on the red carpet is for Bollywood celebrities to generate further attention from the international press. For this kind of big event such as Cannes 2015, every look is perfectly planned and thought out. Obviously, with all the paparazzi around celebrities, the stable black gown will be the safe choice, however, it will miss the brilliance and condition of making someone stand out. But, for the first time it will be difficult to convince Bollywood divas to be different and not follow the trends, because it will also mean taking the risk of stirring the fashion police, as all celebrities hate this kind of “bad” judgment.

When we look at Aishwarya Rai and Sonam Kapoor looking perfect in Elie Saabs and Oscar De la Rentas during Cannes 2015 Festival, we know that it was to stand out from the crowd. These two Bollywood divas ultimately looked extremely glamorous, and are obviously outstandingly beautiful,   but maybe the looks were slightly too much.

It’s always better for everyone to have fun with their fashion and not stress about what they will look like. For example, we saw the actress Nandita Das, in a simple black and red saree, she looked very natural and it had a greater impact. 

It’s the right time for the designers to rethink about the approach to red carpet dressing. It will might be better to make people look comfortable, natural and fun loving with their outfits and not superficial.

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.

Celibrity Showstoppers at Indian Fashion Weeks

For the last seasons of several Indian fashion weeks, we haven't seen a lot of celebrities walking the ramp.

A small variety of celebrity showstoppers were present for the spring/summer season for the finale of several Indian designers. Within the finales, we saw Aditi Rao Hydari for Payal Singhal, Koyal Rana for Joy Mitra, Sania Mirza for Ritu Pande, Monica Dogra for Kanika Saluja and Arjun Rampal for Rohit Bal. For a long time now, Indian designers have included celebrities in big events such as Wills Lifestyle Indian Fashion Week, because it’s a sort of distraction to have Bollywood celebrities walking on the ramp and even better for the audience. However, having these celebrity showstoppers during these events remains strictly business.

For example, this year for Amazon India Fashion Week, there were an unprecedented number of celebrities who attended, but not necessarily for walking the ramp. The first celebrity that we saw in a show was Sonal Chauhan for Nikhita Tandon, which wasn't until Day 4 of the event. And for the rest of the week, it was more about focusing on the clothes than anything else.

Nikhita Tandon, the only designer who featured a celebrity in her show, stated that she was surprised to be the only one. Because for her, it’s not that important to have a celebrity walking during a show, but for sure it helps to get easily noticed, especially for the new designers and can be very interesting for them.

Showcasing a celebrity within your show is a big choice to make, and sometimes some shows need a celebrity showstopper to gain more attention, depending on the major part of the collection that the designer wants to share.

For some designers, they believe that there is no particular need for a celebrity because their collections are already well known. And obviously, they have to take in account that showstoppers are attractive of course, but they are also very expensive.

For a Grand finale of an event such as Lakme Fashion Week or Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week, it can be very interesting and important to have a celebrity in the show. This is because the finale will close the fashion event, so it’s understandable that the designer will want to make a lasting impression somehow,  sometimes the sponsor will even ask the designer to do it.

  

For others, it’s also the fact that showstoppers will not necessarily walk for a show without a particular reason. Often, it’s because it will bring the showstopper a kind of gratification, or because there is a friendship between the designer and the showstopper.

So the real question is, do you think that Indian designers really need celebrity showstoppers during an Indian fashion week?

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