WHEN PALAK SHAH MARRIED AVNISH CHHABRIA, the co-founder of Wellbeing Nutrition, in February, the couple celebrated their union surrounded by their loved ones, beginning with an engagement party and puja in Benares (the bride's hometown) followed by a host of celebrations in Chandigarh. It wasn't long after the two got engaged in August of last year that Shah began dialling up her favourite designers (who also happen to be her friends) to get started on her outfits. Even before the venue for the nuptials was finalised, the bride-to-be knew she wanted to work with Kunal Rawal, Gaurav Gupta and Shantnu & Nikhil to bring her wedding wardrobe to life.
"I believe when two strong sensibilities come together, you create something that's out of the box. When it came to picking the designers, the choice was a no-brainer," says Shah. Since its inception, her label Ekaya Banaras has championed collaboration as part of its business model. So, for the wedding, using the brand's thaans (fabric rolls) as their canvas, each designer brought their artistic vision to the table.
First was the wedding lehenga, for which the CEO of the Indian textile brand turned to none other than her father Bharat Shah and her best friend, the designer Nikhil Mehra of Shantnu & Nikhil. The base of the lehenga-the kalis-was designed by Shah's parents using real zari and silk fabrics from Ekaya.
This story is from the May - June 2023 edition of VOGUE India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the May - June 2023 edition of VOGUE India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Breathe In, Breathe Out
A powerful tool to help you master your nervous system or another biohacking buzzword? SIMONE DHONDY explores the inhalations and exhalations of breathwork
Red Pill, Blue Pill
India's nutraceutical industry is booming thanks to advanced technology, distrust of the medical system and rising vanity. With multivitamins becoming purer and more effective, NIDHI GUPTA finds out if supplements have become the new serum
Sign of the times
No longer do you need to have an answer to, \"What is the significance of this?\" when people point to your new tattoo. ARMAN KHAN discovers that everything is on the table when you get inked temporarily
Return to form
Watching the world's most elite athletes deliver the best performances of their careers rekindled SONAKSHI SHARMA's own love for sports
Dimple, All Day
YOU MAY HAVE WATCHED HER ON THE BIG SCREEN FOR OVER FIVE DECADES, BUT DON'T MAKE THE MISTAKE OF ASSUMING THAT YOU KNOW DIMPLE KAPADIA.
MUSIC, TAKE CONTROL
As someone who had always sought safety in numbers, ALIZA FATMA often wondered what her own company would feel like. The answer arrived unexpectedly when she attended her first-ever music festival, one of the largest in the world, all alone
Let it grow
When we think of hardworking farmers toiling in India's scorching heat, we often think of men, the sweat on their brow, the sinews in their arms. JYOTI KUMARI speaks to four women who are championing the invisible female labour that keeps these fields running
YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE
When armless archer Sheetal Devi set her sights on the Paralympic Games this year, she knew she had a tough journey ahead of her. Luckily, her mother was with her every step of the way.
Beauty and the feast
The appeal of Indian weddings has always been in a sprawling spread. For additional bragging rights, Aditi Dugar recommends going beyond designer tablecloths and monogrammed napkins.
Sweet serendipity
From a scavenger hunt-inspired proposal to a Moroccan-themed baraat, Malvika Raj and Armaan Rai's love story prioritised playfulness throughout their blended celebrations.
