Showstopper Kangana Ranaut flaunted JJ Valaya’s single edition (hand-embroidered) bridal outfit

The bride to be is getting more adventurous than ever before. And the country’s top designers are pulling out all the stops to turn out extravagantly inventive and new look bridal trousseaux that’ll be a smash hit on the big day. Red is still the favourite colour of the wedding season but it isn’t the only one.

So, get ready to embrace smoky tones like gunmetal grey as well as vibrant shades like rich turquoise, classic royal blue, fluorescent pinks and startling greens. “Bridal wear is now synonymous with individual taste in terms of looks and colours rather than adhering to the conventional reds and bling,” says designer Anupama Dayal.

She adds: “It is not about feeling shy and coy but confident and sexy on your big day.”

There’s also a greater emphasis on embroidery on opulent fabrics like velvets and French lamé. Designers are even experimenting with accents such as faux fur trimmings and French sequins which give their outfits an ornate look.

Even the drape of the bridal outfit has undergone a revolution. To make things simpler, design czars have come out with garments like the pre-pleated sari, quite a hit with New Age wedding belles.

Tarun Tahiliani’s saris and lehengas came with Swarovski crystals, embroidery and sequins

The dons of fashion are also going for the fusion look, mixing Western influences with Indian silhouettes. This trend was highlighted at three high-octane fashion events in the capital — Pearl’s Infrastructure Delhi Couture Week, a preview of the upcoming Bridal Asia 2010 and Tarun Tahiliani’s Bridal Couture Exposition 2010.

So, you could see Varun Bahl teaming the traditional lehenga with corsets or velvet jackets with shoulder pads inspired by Russian royalty — they even came with Fabergé egg-shaped embroidery. And JJ Valaya’s showstopper Kangana Ranaut flaunted a gold-toned fabric encrusted with precious and semi-precious gemstones like onyx from Madagascar, Peruvian opals, fresh water pearls, garnets and Swarovski crystals.

Here’s taking a look at some of the trends of the upcoming bridal season.

She’s got the look

Dev r Nil’s bridal collection is high on traditional Bengali workmanship on a muted colour palette

Believe it or not, some designers are holding back. They’re not hopping onto the bling bandwagon and are instead celebrating craftsmanship over flashy ornamentation. So the order of the day for them is traditional Indian embroidery and craftsmanship on Indian textiles, which highlight not only the fabric, but also the work on it. “The idea is not to overshadow the bride with bling,” says Calcutta based designer Dev, of Dev r Nil.

Designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee reckons bridal wear should be an ode to Indian textile and craftsmanship: “Indians are intrinsically traditional and when it comes to the wedding event, it’s nice to put a stop to modernisation.”

His bridal collection is full of influences from across the country — block-printing from Rajasthan, kalamkari from Andhra Pradesh, khadi from Murshidabad and tussar fabrics from Bengal.

If, for some veteran designers, semi-precious stones and Swarovski crystals are indispensable, for many others embellishment with threadwork, beads, kasabs and dabkas on fabrics like chanderis, muga silk, khadi, dupions, georgette and ombré chiffons are the soul of bridal collections. Some are re-packaging the old trends in a new flavour. “Our line Notun (new in Bengali) is a collection of old Bengali ideas packaged in a new format, of styles, designs and thought process,” says Nil, of Dev r Nil.

Colours, palette and fabrics

Manish Malhotra used opulent fabrics such as velvet, lace, net, chiffon and georgette

Would you like to go with the usual tones of bridal reds and oranges? Or, would you like to blaze a new trail with shades like muted pinks, gold and silver which are finding favour with the modern bride. Nowadays, the bride is willing to try anything from serene tones of off-white and beige, complemented with hints of gold, to deep greens, azure blues and antique ivory tones.

Opulent fabrics that are adding drama to the bridal trousseau are sequin-sheeted nets (fully sequinned), luxurious silk satins, French lamé and sheer French laces. And saris are coming in everything from silks, chiffons, georgettes and silk lamés to silk jersey, foiled chiffons, Lurex georgettes and jacquard georgettes. The couture collections also come in tulles, brocades, taffetas, chiffons and silks. Most of the collections are lavishly embroidered with Swarovski elements, sequins, beads, zari and dabka to add an even bigger dose of pizzazz.

Take a look at Manav Gangwani who has used a wide spectrum of colours in his collection, An Affair to Remember, making sure that there’s a shade to match the personality of every woman. Colours as varied as gunmetal grey, rich turquoise, classic royal blue, dazzling gold, magical red and stunning fuchsia can be found in his line.

But for Rina Dhaka red is indispensable. “I will never do away with red for my bridal look. But that’s not to say that a bride can’t wear intricately embroidered light pastels and nudes as well,’’ says Dhaka. She believes in downplaying one of the factors. So she either uses vibrant colours or combines shiny materials with a pale colour palette.

Manish Malhotra has upped the ante of his bridal line with opulent fabrics such as velvet, lace, net, chiffon and georgette.

Saris

Zardozi work and French sequin embellishment with cap sleeved blouses highlighted Pallavi Jaikishan’s bridal line

Believe it or not, there’s a new option when it comes to saris. You could wear a traditional six-yard draped sari or you could slip into a pre-pleated one on your big day. But whether it’s pre-pleated or not, the crucial thing about a sari is still the fabric. Young brides can cut a dash and go for fabrics like French chiffons, silk lamés, silk jerseys, foiled chiffons and Lurex georgettes. And there’s an additional choice to be made. Do you want heavy or not-so-heavy embellishment?

“The look is sensuous at times when foil-printed sheer chiffons give an effect of cascading waterfalls of liquid metal while Lycra-infused charmeuse hugs the body. Velvets and silk lamés complete the look,” says designer Rakesh Agarvwal.

Alternatively, why not be even more cutting-edge and try out a sari-cum-gown on your wedding night? “The dupatta can be tucked at the shoulder to give a cascading effect,” says designer Gaurav Gupta.

His collection is an ode to high couture and the sari-gowns come in tulles, brocades, taffetas, chiffons, silks. What’s more, he offers varied looks using everything from multiple pleating to frills, Swarovski elements or metallic fabric and lace embroidery.

From designer Rina Dhaka’s collection there are some sari skirts (mermaid cut skirts pleated in the front) that are her take on the sari. “But these are meant to be worn by the family of the bride,’’ says Dhaka.

From master couturier Tarun Tahiliani’s collection there are fish tail cut gown-like-saris with pleats and a trail and even draped lehenga-saris that can be slipped into with great ease.

Similarly Rakesh Agarvwal has made wearing the sari simple by providing ready-to-snap-on drapes that can be put on in just 30 seconds.

Traditional embroidery is also being used generously to enhance the saris. Dayal uses subdued hues like burnt reds and pinks for her saris that come with embroidery like chikan, mukesh, zardozi, ari work and even jewellery-inspired needle work. “The subdued colours strike a balance between craftsmanship and the natural beauty of the bride”, says Dayal.

Lehengas

Manav Gangwani’s collection in bright silver and deep grey ruled the ramp

It’s the quintessential wedding garment for dashing brides who want to make a statement. While kalidar lehengas are the flavour of the season, fish-cut and fitted lehengas are also great for cocktails and other bridal functions.

Agarvwal’s line has six variations of the lehenga, each with a different look. They come in tulle that is fully sequinned, layers of chiffon and silk lamé dupion.

Designer Pallavi Jaikishan says: “With bridal outfits, we don’t experiment too much. Lehengas for a wedding would rather have nine to 11 kalis while some even come with a trail.” Jaikishan’s collection shows off zari badla work and French sequins which looks like crystals. “Using crystals on the outfit makes it too heavy but the beauty of the French sequin is that it keeps the lehenga feather-light,” says Jaikishan.

Tarun Tahiliani’s lehengas sport embroidery with traditional motifs as well as contemporary embellishments such as Swarovski crystals adding the requisite level of glamour. “We have elements of gota, bandhni and zardozi interspersed with crystal, appliqué and mirrors,” says Tahiliani.

His elegantly embellished kalidar lehengas with silk and velvet zardozi blouses are complemented with dupattas and translucent veils. And Valaya’s opulent lehengas in gold blaze with Swarovski crystals on fabrics like jersey, dupion, georgette and velvets that are worked on with appliqué and laser-cutting.

Malhotra too has spiced up the trousseau tale with interesting silhouettes such as lehengas paired with jackets. A Spanish influence on his couture line was articulated through flaménco skirts and use of vibrant colours like purple along with tones of red and blue.

Blouses

Sabyasachi Mukherjee used khadi-based textiles with block printing and kantha work

A blouse can make or break a look for a sari or lehenga. While designer Anupama Dayal has gone for blouses with low necklines, Sabyasachi advocates full sleeved ones with embellishments.

Velvet, brocade silk and lamé blouses are the hottest trend this bridal season and they’re coming with sequins, embroidered, laced and even accentuated with gotta patti work. The bride can take her pick from Varun Bahl’s corsets and blouses that look like ponchos, Tarun Tahiliani’s puff-sleeved blouse or collared blouse with a cut-out back.

Blouses with low backs and two-and-a-half inch cap sleeves with some pleating are doing the rounds. The neckline is deep so that the jewellery shows. “The idea is to make the jewellery sit on the skin and not get camouflaged by the bridal attire,” says Jaikishan.

Apart from silks and brocades, velvet is one of the top picks for blouses. “Snug and sexy — velvet is the material of the moment with intricate zardozi work,” says Dayal.