In town for a brunch hosted by designer Sumona Parekh at dine den 1658, Bridal Asia CEO Divya Gurwara chatted with t2 about summer weddings and the modern bride...

What is the concept behind Bridal Asia?

Bridal Asia is a three-day retail event that is purely about business. We are not like a fashion week. The concept is to introduce designers to their audience from all over and make them more reachable. This is the first time we’re holding it in Mumbai with 75 participants from all across the country and even from Pakistan. Mumbai is a hot spot for fashion, so we thought of taking a step towards that city (from Delhi). 

Previous editions of Bridal Asia were held in Calcutta...

We have done it here periodically, and though this edition is in Mumbai, we might do it in Calcutta in the near future. There’s a very big contingent that comes from Calcutta to Delhi, so the city works beautifully. Also, there’s a beautiful bond between the Calcutta designers and Bridal Asia. 

How hard or easy is it to make one edition of Bridal Asia different from the other?

I must say the job is not totally mine. It’s the designers who bring something totally different to every edition of Bridal Asia. Every year we add new participants, which is a wholly new chapter because of the different design sensibilities they bring to the table. Designers like Tarun Tahiliani or Pallavi Jaikishan and Bhairavi Jaikishan have been with us for long but ensure that a fresh, exciting angle is present in their collections.
 
What’s your take on the summer bride?

This time there are a lot of summer weddings. You see, there are a lot of people who go according to their religious texts and a lot of people who go according to what is convenient for them. With a lot of weddings today being arranged 
by the bride and the groom themselves, they centre the whole thing around their comfort factor.

What about the unconventional bride?

The unconventional bride is confident and knows her mind, her design, her pocket, is exciting and well turned out. So be it her garments or the location for the wedding or the concept and traditions involved, she is just very beautifully smart to keep the balance. She lets the traditional angle be there yet she does it her way, and with spunk. Recently there was this wedding at Koh Samui where the pheras were happening and all the guests were having fun in the pool. So there you have it — the new, with the traditions intact. 

Your favourite bride is... 

I like the happy bride. She’s fun, which is how I look at today’s girls. I interact with many young brides and there is this clarity of thought in them, they don’t annoy their parents by trying to be totally different and yet they do what they want to do beautifully, with this sense of newness around them. She’s a complete woman.

The Calcutta line-up for Bridal Asia 

Apparel:

• Dev R Nil
• Sumona Couture
• Sozenkari
• Ruckeru
• Osaa by Adarsh
• Sejal Kanoi
• Peppermint Diva

Jewellery:

• Sumona Silver
• Vasundhara 
• Nemichand Bamalwa & Sons

Accessories/Beauty:

• Love To Bag by Ayushi
• Princess Gold Silver Arts 
• Roots & Herbs