Both independent stylists, Aastha Sharma founded The Wedding Style Project with Mohit Rai six years ago, after meeting at Harper’s Bazaar India. “I think the biggest misconception is that Indian weddings are only about traditional clothing,” Sharma says. “They’re not. There is huge luxury spend across accessories, shoes, handbags, eveningwear, resortwear, pants, even the smaller details around the wedding.” Bridelan’s Kundnani notes that footwear is nearly always sourced from international labels, with her go-to picks being Jimmy Choo and Christian Louboutin.
But stylists feel international brands need to be more collaborative. “I would love for brands to come in as collaborators rather than simply looking at it as product placement or selling something off the rack,” says Sharma. “Customization is a huge part of Indian weddings; brands and families want exclusivity, and for that, the former should be willing to incorporate the [desired] colors, silhouettes, and styles.”
Kundani echoes this. “The depth of customization offered by Indian designers is unmatched,” she says. “Indian designers truly offer a haute couture experience to brides, and at shorter timelines, like two to three months. International brands are not able to match the level of craftsmanship that Indian designers have to offer.” She believes international brands will need to offer the same level of customer service as an Indian label to really compete and make brides feel special. When Christian Louboutin launched a dedicated bridal suite in 2014 at its Mumbai flagship, the brand engineered a feeling of exclusivity by debuting a new capsule in the location each year and allowing brides to visit in their outfits or take the shoes away to try on the full range at their own pace.
Tanya Vohra Ahuja, a former fashion editor at GQ India, launched her boutique wedding agency, Clad, in 2020, with offices in Mumbai and Singapore. She has deliberately kept away from high volume and stays personally involved in every wedding project the agency takes on, as clients expect. “Wedding shopping here is incredibly personal and high touch,” she says. “A bride may be dressing for four, five or six different events, and for each one, she wants something distinct. There are families involved, cultural considerations, specific timelines, and a huge expectation around customization. It isn’t enough for an international brand to bring its existing eveningwear collection and expect the Indian bride to spend simply because she has the budget.”
Tanya Vohra Ahuja, founder of boutique wedding agency, Clad.
Photo: Courtesy of Tanya Vohra Ahuja/ Valorie Darling
