Meet the romantics

Once upon a time, romanticism was seen as a weakness. Today, we know that embracing your feminine energy is empowering. Behind the joyful colours, delicate fabrics and whimsical details, these fi ve women channel a soft strength that is assertive without being aggressive. Malika Dalamal takes a closer look

- Malika Dalamal

MUMBAI

KRESHA BAJAJ ZAVERI

It’s no surprise that designer Krésha Bajaj Zaveri is a romantic at heart. Her designs, fit for fairy tales, feature pearls, crystal, sequins, glass and bead embroidery, tulle gowns, organza, and vintage lace-inspired saris in a pastel palette of ocean blues, greens, coral, and ivory. But it is her personalized couture bridal wear, namely her Lovestory Lehenga, that gives away her true nature.

The idea to embroider a couple’s love story on a wedding lehenga started with her own. “When I started to think about my wedding outfit, it bothered me that I wouldn’t wear it again. I wanted it to have meaning.” The stunning ivory skirt, now framed and hanging in her home, has the journey of her courtship with husband Vanraj Zaveri—the proposal in the Maldives, dolphins to represent their love of marine life, and their names embroidered on it.

Bajaj Zaveri’s husband has inspired her to work in more ways than one. She credits him with evolving her aesthetic from a more gothic look—think black, edgy, lots of spikes and studs—to the brand’s current feel. When she’s not working, she wears pieces from Self-Portrait, Alice McCall, Sandro, and Maje. Her travel essentials are self-designed, vintage-inspired dresses.

She’s likely to be spotted in these scouring flea markets. “Vintage pieces are meticulously handcrafted. They also have so much history and tell a story which I find beautiful,” she says. Her dreamy social media account takes followers everywhere from the beaches of Brazil to tulip fields in Amsterdam, a street food market in Copenhagen and the cobbled streets of Lisbon. Even a rainy day in Florence looks romantic through her rose-tinted view.