The iconic The Dorchester, London, welcomed South Asian fashion royalty on Sunday 10th January as the second, annual Aashni + Co Wedding Show in association with Mustang Productions presented bridal and couture collections by some of the most talented South Asian designers in the industry today. Founder and Creative Director, Aashni Anshul Doshi (Shah) pulled together the show’s concept, of what has now become the most magnificent South Asian wedding event in the UK. In attendance were fashion influencers including Anamika Khanna, Anju Modi, Manish Malhotra, Sabyasachi, Varun Bahl, Akanksha Gajria, Gaurav Gupta, Masaba, Rimple Narula, Samant Chauhan, Faraz Manan, Sonali Gupta and Paras Modi of SVA. Jewellery and accessory collections by Amrapali and Amishi London were also presented at the show.
One of the key highlights for me had to be the extraordinary floral styling by Zita Elze, who recreated a breathtaking, enchanted garden installation in The Dorchester’s iconic Gold Room…just take a look below for yourself. 😉 You can view Zita’s floral styling from Aashni + Co’s début Wedding Show here.
See below our highlights from Wedding Show. Now where do I start?!
Anju Modi
Anju Modi recently blew us away with her costume attire she designed for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Bajrao Mastani; may we say what an absolutely beautiful movie! We were keen to know more about her work for this Sanjay Leela Bhansali milestone! (please excuse the face cut off in the middle of the video! Apologies.)
Gaurav Gupta
Gaurav Gupta knows how to create fuse between modern silhouettes and Indian designs and he presented some of those pieces in his collection; it was a privilege to see his work up and close! Gaurav Gupta said, “The crowd here is great today. London loves to take risks in fashion, which is great for me. And what an incredible event. Aashni has done a wonderful job in putting this all together.”
Sonali Gupta
I discovered Sonali Gupta’s brand in last year’s Wedding Show and her choice of colours combinations and sophisticated designs just blew me away! Just see the lehenga piece below! Meeting the wonderful and enthusiastic designer herself was just fantastic! She was excited about the show!
Manish Malhotra
Manish has almost been like a resident in London over these past months, and is a great honour to have such a pioneer in our London city! Manish had more outfits showcased this time round in comparison to last year, HOORAY! It consisted of both traditional and pieces which nodded to modern colour palettes and heavy embroidery. See what Manish Malhotra had to say to UK brides about the Aashni + Co Wedding Show.
Anamika Khanna
Anamika Khanna’s amazing drapes, capes and cuts just always amaze us! Anamika had some beautiful light-weight pieces available in an array of soft pastel and creamy hues. Anamika nods to modernism, but still sticks to the roots of Indian heritage. Here is her tips to brides out there! Also, it lovely to see she remembered my face from when I worked alongside her at Trunk Show she hosted in London back in 2014!
Varun Bahl
Varun Bahl needs no introduction; his feminine, chic and floral designs wowed us at the show! I think we even managed to spot a piece worn recently by Deepika Padukone available to buy! *Le faint!* Varun said, “This is one of the best shows I’ve done in terms of organisation, the way it’s done and the way the booths are created. I wish the space was slightly larger because I didn’t expect so many people to turn up! It’s been a good day. Lots of people have come and are interested in our clothes.”
Masaba Gupta
Masaba has taken the Indian fashion fraternity by storm! Personally, Masaba personifies quirky Indian fashion in her executions, and that is what I love about her brand and designs: it’s fun, unique and desi all mixed together. Her wedding was the talk of the town last year and I was curious to find out what her thought process when selecting her bridal outfits. For Masaba, the key things she looked out was her outfits being “lightweight”…so she could have “fun and dance around in”. She also admitted that she has already re-worn her one of her wedding outfits… see how she did below and the pieces she brought with her to the Wedding Show.
Sabyasachi
Sabyasachi had epitomized regal and luxury at the show… need I say more? Sabyasachi showcased his traditional bridal pieces with deep reds in luxurious velvet and net fabrics and intricate embroideries. If I am correct, Sabyasachi even showcased his wallpaper, where he collaborated with Nilaya! This was the Moghalsarai printed wallpaper, which features Mughal miniatures, Persian verses and a penchant for eclecticism, which inspired it. See what Sabyasachi had to say about what he was looking forward to most at the show!
Samant Chauhan
I first lay eyes on Samant Chauhan at the AICW 2015; their signature designs and use of ivory/gold thread and zari embroidery won me over! At the Aashni + Co Wedding Show, they were even showcasing their latest collection! The latest line was using their signature floral designs, but this time on royal midnight blue fabric!
Lastly, here are some more photos from our highlights of the show in the gallery below:
In summary, the event was a exceptional and bridal bliss, and I don’t know how, but they honestly out-did themselves compared to their début show last year. And seriously the benchmark that they set last year was high! Aashni had some words to share about the Wedding Show, “The event has been a tremendous success. We were conscious that we needed to surpass the high benchmark we established with the event in its debut year, 2015. I feel we’ve achieved that based on the response from the designers and visitors here today unanimously. We’ve brought a studied curation of luxe, South Asian couture and bridal wear to the UK’s doorstep, meaning brides and grooms to be and followers of Indian high fashion have been able to meet the designers themselves and shop entire bridal trousseaus or one-off pieces against a fittingly couture backdrop.” Need we say, we look forward to what Aashni + Co have in-store for the UK next year! Until then… you can stay tuned with Aashni + Co on:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Aashni-Co-Official/417895134941609
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/AashniUK
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/aashniandco
Did you attend the Aashni + Co Wedding Show 2016, tweet us @LondonKiLadki and hashtag #aashniweddingshow to let us know your thoughts!
Photo credit for post feature photo: Adnan Qazi
Photo credit for all other imagery and videos: London Ki Ladki
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