Bridal Dresses

Top 10 bridal dresses from all over the world

One particular wedding I had attended, the bride, her mother and sisters were all well attired in their Ecrus and not only did they look divine all those days, they would outshine all their well-heeled guests in the room. Instances like this make you understand how self assured Ankur Batra's clients feel, entrusting him with their trueso needs. Images of Ankur's designs are hard to come by on the web, so here I reproduced a collage from Ecrus's facebook page.

                                                  Ecru Brides

We are all familiar with Tarun Tahiliani, he needs no introduction. Think of a grand, opulent and luxurious lehenga or sherwani and it usually bears a Tahiliani tag. If it's not for all the Swarovski crystals a plenty, then just the fine, intricate woven embroideries. 'Vinatge Tahiliani' is more memorable than the work TT is doing at present these days.

                                      Tarun Tahiliani Couture

Pallavi Jaikishan's use of colourful rose motifs, ribbon work and other signature embroidery nuances stand the test of time and continue to lure. Pallavi understands what every girl wants and delivers accordingly. Her designs may come across as samey, but that doesn't take away at all from each garment's beauty. It's hard to find one piece that you dislike in a Pallavi Jaikishan store, that's how gorgeous her aesthetic is.

                          Pallavi Jaikishan's couture collection

When you think Suneet Varma, you think bright colours and heady embroidery. An old horse in the Indian fashion industry, competition hasn't deterred Suneet the least bit and he goes from strength to strength; expanding his business, entering collaborations and consolidating his brand position. Prospective brides have always turned to Suneet for his showstopping designs that proclaim out and out sexiness and confidence, along with his bright colour palate and trademark eye catching embroideries. Suneet stands firm, unshakable from his position as master couturier, designer and dressmaker.

                                   Suneet Varma Couture

Designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee quickly became a favourite after his debut in Lakme India Fashion Week back in 2002. His sarees are most sought after, Sabyasachi's designs have an ethnic, rustic, and timeless appeal. Heralding a whole movement of mixing fabrics, textures, prints, surface treatment techniques, embroideries and colour contrasts, which define his signature. One can spot a Sabyasachi from miles away and even identity its copies! Eschewing the notion that bridal wear looks best only in sheer pastels bedazzled with countless Swarovski crystals, a Sabyasachi bride is unafraid of embracing her traditional roots and breaking conventions.

                                     Sabyasachi Couture

Varun Bahl is one of the few designers who places equal weight on pattern making besides innovative embroidery placement. Like for instance, Varun's successful experiments with origami folds or the bertha cape; taking risks in design and fashioning unique patterns and silhouettes slowly catapulted Varun to being one of the best in the business. His designs encompass his attention to detail, use of fabric and colour sense enthrall and heighten your interest at the same time. On close inspection of his work, you find that Varun's clothes are not only admirable but bound to make a statement. It's no surprise then that designer Varun Bahl is slowly gaining credibility as one of the top guys to go to for sophisticated bridal wear.

                                              Varun Bahl Couture

One look at Kangana Ranaut's show stopping outfit in JJ Valaya's Couture show during Pearls Delhi Couture Week is enough to convince you that any bride would look like a queen in her Valaya! JJ Valaya's bridal designs are not just grand but also very feminine. Being a veteran in the business, Valaya's repertoire of design include his impressive archive of pioneering techniques of the most beautiful and exquisite embroideries, crafts and hand work. This factor works as a major draw to hone in new clients and prospective brides alike. Being an enormous brand with multiple projects and shelves to stock across India and abroad, the designer may not always be present to guarantee that treasured, personal touch to antsy brides to be, the job of which is often deigned to assistants. That maybe the biggest drawback for which Valaya's relatively newer competitors trump him in the business. Case in point, Ankur Batra of Ecru, who assisted Valaya for years before starting out on his own. Personalized, customized designs as a result of giving one-on-one time to clients and prospective brides not only calm their frayed nerves, but also help to instill confidence and faith in a designer's work, where eventually clients vouch for and swear by him.

                                                  JJ Valaya's designs

Think Rohit Bal and you think great work, words often fail to express how good some of Bal's clothes are. 'Vintage' Bal is so jaw dropping beautiful that it would make you gasp in awe. And judging from his last Couture show which was the best during Pearls Infrastructure India Fashion Week, you would think that the flamboyant couturier is still at the top of his game. Which he might be, because Bal is still the most sought after and cherished designer who is literally running an empire! So he really won't be around to give time to a lot of brides, but his work still stands out and receives those eyeballs. It's very natural for big designers like Bal to turn complacent at some point and not take much interest in innovating new styles after holding a kind of monopoly in the market for years. Another reason why brides feel comfortable with young, new designers. Newer designers possess that enthusiasm, boldness and freshness in approach to design, as they are raring to prove themselves when compared to their more established counterparts, like Rohit Bal. But judging from his last successful couture show, Bal did innovate and he turned to his archives where he put his spin on classics like the wispy white kalidar kurtas and the embroidered long jacket with ghagra skirt ensemble.

                                            Rohit Bal Couture

Gaurav Gupta is a relatively new entrant in the bridal couture segment, but nonetheless an able and adept designer at that. Gaurav's signature jersey draped and pleated sarees are hot and still coveted by many soiree attendee fashionistas. Gaurav has a real knack for manipulating drapes and knots, creating exquisite designs that incorporate fascinating details and pattern making techniques all expertly tied together with his restrained and clever use of embroidery. Gaurav's sensibilities are modern and his approach to designing is fresh and exciting. In his last couture show, he played with fringe and chain details; his use of lace, metallics and pretty colours made his collection a strong one without appearing gimicky. Here is one designer to watch out for, making you curious to know what next is he going to pull out from his bag of tricks; of inventive styling, draping and pattern innovation.

                                         Gaurav Gupta Couture

By far the most popular designers for party dresses and gowns, for Shantanu & Nikhil capturing the bridal wear market seems to be high on their agenda. If there's something called correctness in design, proportion and colour, then Shantanu and Nikhil often hit the nail on it's head. Their designs are so complete in every respect, that it's very hard to fault a piece, maybe perhaps just on the finishing front, but that's pretty rare too. Their clothes are also unconventional, refreshing and stand out from the usual garish colours, heavy embroideries and overdose of bling that most Indian bridal wear designers fall crime to. Strong silhouettes, draping, pattern making and understated embroideries form a big part of the Shantanu & Nikhil design philosophy, setting them apart from the rest while creating a niche segment.

                                Shantanu & Nikhil Bridal Couture