Designer Arpita Mehta’s wedding collection

Nazara Collection by Arpita Mehta
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangements

Nazara, Arpita Mehta’s latest bridal couture collection, is a tribute to India’s cultural heritage blended. The collection, inspired by the Northeast of India and Gujarat, blends contemporary silhouettes with luxurious design: not surprisingly Arpita’s clientele includes celebrities such as Isha Ambani, Ananya Panday, Alia Bhatt, Suhana Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan.

The collection, showcased the in Guwahati (Assam) for the first time, has been inspired by the flora and fauna of the region; reflected in the vibrant floral 3D motifs. The Nature-inspired patterns come alive with traditional embroidery techniques like bandhej and ahir.

With a vast colour palette ranging from soft pastels — sea green, old rose, baby orchid, lemon yellow, and ice blue — to bold vibrant red, bright pink, orange, and teal, Nazara comes in rich Banarasi silk or metallic silk tissue, with kadhua weave or ombré bandhani.

Whether a classic lehenga, ruffle sari or fitted skirt paired with long embroidered capes, the designs have a signature style — from hand-embroidered mirror work to traditional bandhini embellished with embroidery.

Saying her family inspired her to get into fashion, Arpita states, “They were designers and stylists in their own right, creating beautiful saris and accessorising with pearls or some statement jewellery. The final look would always leave me mesmerised, which is probably why I would sketch a lot. I also collected international fashion magazines from a scrap dealer. I loved flipping through the pages to see the lastest fashionable clothing.”

Her love for mirror work began with garba dresses right from her childhood. She started designing clothes with intricate and fine mirror work for occasions and extensively used kasab dhaga (shades of metallic thread) with cut work to make them stand out.

Arpita works with a small cluster of craftsmen from Gujarat and a team from Mumbai. “The work is time sensitive. We also have a set up in Jamnagar, because it is more accessible as a city. There are more craftsmen, it is more modern as a city in comparison to Bhuj. The idea is to go more rural, eventually which means we are looking to work with different clusters of craftsmen,” she adds.

When Arpita set out in 2009, she decided her clothes would embody what she loved the most; elegance, Indianness, style and, of course, eye-catching embroidered mirror work. In keeping with this concept, Arpita established a brand that came to be known for its ability to fuse ethnic and contemporary aesthetics seamlessly.

Arpita explains, “Nazara combines luxurious fabrics, intricate embroidery, and striking colour palettes. The collection is all about modern femininity with a timeless charm.”

“Anahita Shroff dressed Deepika Padukone in one my lehengas. That’s when I realised I was doing the right thing because Anahita is one of the best stylists in the country. I still feel excited each time I see a celebrity in my designs. Why just celebs, in fact, I am always overjoyed when I notice anyone wearing my label for their special occasions.”