Whenever Sabyasachi announces the release of his collection, we are all eagerly waiting to see what new the top bridal designer in India has in store for us next. A few things stay the same every year though – and has been the couturier’s basic foundation since he has launched the brand – to preserve, restore, and blend the timeless Indian crafts for the modern women. Sabyasachi’s red bridal lehengas released in 2022 represent the same. Taking to Instagram, this is what he wrote, “In times of uncertainty codes of familiarity build comfort, confidence, and a sense of continuity. Presenting Heritage Bridal, a celebration of classics in our signature shades of red. Matka silk, organza, and brocade embroidered with finely handcrafted zardozi, tilla work, and gota tell the story of authentic Indian luxury. This is our homage of tradition even as we celebrate the dynamism of today.”
Related: Sabyasachi Lehenga Prices || Sabyasachi Saree Prices
Timeless Heritage For The Modern Indian Bride
Besides the lehengas, Sabyasachi red bridal lehengas in his 2022 heritage collection also feature new jewelry designs in uncut diamonds, gold plating, and pearls. Defining the jewelry as an heirloom piece, here’s what Sabya writes, “For most of the bride I know wedding jewelry isn’t just an investment, it’s an heirloom that can become part of a legacy that transcends time. This is why I bring back ancient and nearly forgotten techniques like double jadai, langar-pohai, and naqashi. It’s what our great grandmothers and grandmothers wore, and somewhere it’s what we want to pass to our children and grandchildren.”
Penning down his passion towards heritage weaves, Sabyasachi wrote,” When you let craft thrive you not only restore economic sustainability but also pride and dignity of workmanship and artisanal skills. And it’s through the consumption of craft that you encourage the continuity of our legacy. This is where the Indian weddings play its most important role, it is not just a celebration but is integral to the survival and growth of our craft and heritage industries.” Further, Sabyasachi talked about the classic bridal beauty in his own terms, “There are many ways to interpret bridal beauty but I keep coming back to the tried and tested. Kajal lined eyes, a dollop of kumkum, and bare skin. There is a minimalism to our traditional beauty rituals that pairs so elegantly with the maximalism of our bridal clothing and jewelry.”
Katrina Kaif’s Wedding Lehenga
The wait is over. With the 2022 heritage bridal collection, Sabyasachi has also released Katrina’s wedding lehenga for purchase. Just like his other 3 popular Bollywood brides – Anushka Sharma, Deepika Padukone, and Priyanka Chopra, Sabyasachi released the lehenga in his next main launch. It’s amazing how one designer can create bridal wear for all the celebrity brides, yet make them look so different at the same time. While Anushka’s bridal look resonated with the pastel-themed romance in weddings, Deepika’s was a traditional blend of the couple’s heritage roots, while Priyanka wore a modernistic red lehenga for her multi-cultural wedding.
Katrina’s bridal dress too represented the cultural heritage of Kaushal’s Sikh roots. They had just one wedding ceremony, as opposed to Deepveer and Nickyanka who preferred to conduct two ceremonies to honor both bride and groom’s heritage. Katrina’s Sabyasachi red bridal lehenga came in a raw silk base with fine tilla work and meticulously embroidered silver zardozi borders in velvet. Honoring Kaushal’s Punjabi roots, Katrina’s veil was custom-trimmed with handbeaten kiran and silver electroplated in gold. The lehenga released also has the veil customized for Katrina.
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Besides red lehengas, the designer also revealed other stunning colors for his collection like pastels and ivory. “India is not just about bright oranges and Fuschia pinks. When you travel across the country and wander into old homes and palaces, and gaze into ancient frescoes and miniatures, you will see and feel the most magical powdered pastel that is unmistakably Indian,” wrote the designer of his pastel collection. “Age-old marble palaces, handmade Swiss lace, or my grandmother’s jamdani saris. I’ve always been fascinated by the deceptive simplicity of ivory on ivory. It is the epitome of understated but pure luxury,” Sabyasachi wrote of his thoughts on ivory in Indian couture. Further writing his inspiration for ivory, he wrote, “I have an unhealthy obsession with aged marble, the more it weathers and corrodes, the more beautiful, I think, it becomes. I’ve tried capturing its color with my dyes for years now. The closest we have come is tea-dyed Bengal muslin.”
The designer also drew inspiration for his intricate karigari from his hometown Calcutta, “The crumbling good mansions of North Calcutta, Venetian chandeliers and tarnished silverware – intense integrity beneath the patina of age. Strong, sophisticated, and confident. A smoky hand-dyed color palette of brooding silver, dusty gold, and withering grey. The textured depth of layering silk, wool, velvet, and tulle. And the drama of hand-crafted old-world zardozi printed vintage florals and artisanal embroidery. Couture 2022 celebrates the timelessness of nonchalant glamour.” In another statement, he wrote, “As a designer, I found myself a little lost over the last few years. How do we express exuberance without acknowledging the agony around us? Somehow, it was the image of the 19th-century Marble Palace in North Calcutta that kept coming back to me. A glorious mansion ravaged by time. But between the dust and grime lies its wooden paneling and beautifully aged stone, with ornate sculptures, hand-carved furniture, and hand-knotted carpets, weather-beaten but still standing. An escape rooted in the realities of its own story – wearing both its glamor and complexity with pride.” Yet another post portrayed the designer’s love for Calcutta, “The glamor of Calcutta, I can’t put a finger on it…it’s almost sexual and slightly dark. It comes from the very private chambers of the mind.”
Describing his everlasting fondness for the color red and timeless bridal couture, this is what he wrote, “Every few years, I work with my color analysts and dyes to formulate a new shade of red. This year I had a specific vision. I commissioned the Sabyasachi Art foundation, we worked together to create a new shade of intense red. Our inspiration was the ubiquitous Bengal hibiscus. Deep, saturated, vivid, and matte, its vibrance unfolds best under sunny blue skies. We call it Calcutta Rouge.” “For me, bridal wear is never about the moment, it is part of a living tradition that lasts across generations.”
The 2022 Sabyasachi collection also featured some gorgeous sarees and suits, which are featured below:
