On the July 17th Monisha Jaising previewed her sumptuous global-inspired and completely decadent ‘World Bride’ collection along with Shree Raj Mahal Jewellers. Each piece took inspiration from textiles and traditions from around the world and came together to make up an eye-catching bridal collection. (I’m dying over this lehnga)
I had never heard of Monisha Jaising till now, but this collection makes her someone to watch amongst the other bridal designers. I wouldn’t say that each piece necessarily complements the others, generally it looks like a smorgasbord of colors, prints, and embroidery. That said, some of the items individually work for me.
Practically every inch of this lengha is embroidered with that plush tapestry embroidery that looks so Mughal classic and yet so wearable. Combined with the metallic skirt and blouse and bright chooni, I feel like I’ve died and gone to heaven. It’s timeless yet modern, modest yet sexy. I would like it wrapped up to go, please.
Jaising was extremely thoughtful in how she put together each piece. The points of departure are pretty obvious – the embroidery of the sari-esque dress below pulls from Chinese and Korean tradition while the damask appliques look Middle Eastern. I adore the color and the cut, daring as it would be for a Desi Do. This one was definitely one of the few absolutely memorable outfits in the collection.
Bits of the collection ended up being complete misses. They may have had the start of something brilliant but they fell flatter than flat on the runway. I can dig the skirt below, but the top, interesting as it, does not work in the slightest with this styling. Boxy crop tops are kinda my thing but this getup looks frumpy. Points for the blue on blue combo, though.
Like, what is this dress? I can see African influence but I don’t understand how this outfit fits in with the rest of the collection’s Indian, embroidered, blinged-out looks. The vinyl bodice, the princess gown cut (why is there a princess gown in an Indian bridal collection?), and the black all set this outfit radically apart from the others. This dress also doesn’t say much – it’s not particularly interesting, nor does it contrast in any artistic way with what we’ve seen so far in the collection. I just don’t get it.
And here’s showstopper Lisa Haydon sporting a Jaising lehnga and decked out in haar, choodiyan, and kalire. I think the twist-tie button down brings down the whole outfit and tries too hard to make a very classic look work in a day wear setting. The skirt itself doesn’t stand out for me and I wonder if this outfit is a waste of Haydon. She looks gorgeous but that’s because she is. The outfit itself doesn’t do much for her.
3-3. Pretty even draw, Jaising. I look forward to seeing more from this designer and I hope in the future there’s a bit more coherence in her collections.
