WEDDING PLANNER

With the summer wedding season set to peak soon, it’s time to look at Ritu Kumar’s latest bridal collection. Kumar, one of India’s leading designers, who started from Calcutta, says why the collection is suitable for the time of the year and the times in general.

“The collection is light, airy and perfectly apt for summer. It is designed specifically for the younger generation that does not want to be loaded with heavy embroidery, while it still holds true to a well-researched design aesthetic. These are easy-to-wear pieces for summer weddings or even to be used as separates for a later time,” says Kumar.

Kumar has never gone away too far from traditional Indian designs, though she also incorporates a Western touch at times. This collection reflects years of study of two Indian disciplines  – of embellishment and decoration of fabrics. The design studio attempts to amalgamate, contemporise and recreate motifs.

Featuring wispy, easy-to-wear fabrics like chanderi, organza and chiffon interspersed with rich silks and velvets, the collection features the brand’s signature silhouettes in new-age colour tones.

An evolution of a tradition based on hand-block printing, as well as printed and painted fabrics, creates an amalgamation of the more specialised form of block screen and now digital printing. The look and feel of modern and resist dyeing used in original handblock and painted kalamkaris have been retouched, as the classical motifs have been with additional patterns of strong geometric designs, spirals, circles and paisleys.

• Models: Monisha Sen, Rupsha

• Jewellery: Gauri Himatsingka

• Shoot director: Nick Rampal

• Make-up: Nabin Das

• Photographs: Rashbehari Das