Say hello to the latest addition to our fashion family here at MissMalini.com. Marv D’Souza is a designer, fashion junkie and all-round sweetheart. So when he agreed to do a series for me on the recently concluded bridal week I was thrilled, check it out and leave him a comment!

Marv D'Souza
Marv D’Souza
Bridal saree by Rocky S.
Bridal saree by Rocky S.

Can you hear them ringing, those wedding bells? Yes, wedding season is here and the drama-filled melody has already begun to take form. Dates have been saved and guests have been informed. Hair and make-up trials have begun. And the trousseau…? Now that needs undivided attention. With bridal weeks wrapping up around the country and my mixed, but humbled sense, of Indian bridal fashion, I chart out trends this season.

In this blog, let us take a look at the trendy colours this season and how best you can wear them!

The first and most vital part of the bridal trousseau set up is selecting a colour palette. What colour matches you, your theme or even your entourage. With colour selections done, half the battle is won. If it suits you then rest is up to impeccable tailoring, fit and bridal grooming.

With so many designers and fashion weeks, here are a few colour options that have been making frequent appearances through the festive/bridal season.

Outfits by Falguni & Shane Peacock (left) and Tarun Tahiliani (right)
Outfits by Falguni & Shane Peacock (left) and Tarun Tahiliani (right)

Nude Tones

The shades of cream and beige have always been a favourite for those who love simplicity. Tarun Tahiliani did some beautiful dresses and sarees in cream and beige teamed with a hint of maroon. Designers like Arjun and Anjalee Kapoor, Rocky S and Neeta Lulla presented a few soft and subtle pieces in the same colour tone in their bridal series.

A beige-cream creation by Tarun Tahiliani for the groom
A beige-cream creation by Tarun Tahiliani for the groom

Beige and cream seemed to be the favourite even in menswear with most of the designers. Designers like Tarun Tahiliani tailored out stately silhouettes with beautiful embroidery but the kind that wouldn’t distract. Arjun and Anjalee did several pieces for men in beige but the one that stood out in my opinion was one with ornate embroidery at the neck , sleeves and the border with subtle kind of print embroidery all over.

Models wear designs by Peacock Bride, Rocky S, Neeta Lulla and Rocky S
Models wear designs by Peacock Bride, Rocky S, Neeta Lulla and Rocky S

Pastels

Pastels are soft, feminine and above it all, ever so pretty. Thus it’s a crowd pleaser during pre-wedding festivities. Tones in lemon, aqua and peach are the top favourites and do well with Indian jewelry as well as the contemporary ones.

Outfits by Arjun & Anjalee Kapoor, Rocky S. and Neeta Lulla
Outfits by Arjun & Anjalee Kapoor, Rocky S. and Neeta Lulla

Deep Tones

This bridal season, for those of you with light skin tones or the ones who prefer deep colours to the lighter counterparts, holds a lot of options. Ranging from black to emerald green to maroon, it’s mysteriously dark but not at all a depressing choice.

Evergreen hues by Neeta Lulla, Jyotsna Tiwari and Raghuvendra Rathore
Evergreen hues by Neeta Lulla, Jyotsna Tiwari and Raghuvendra Rathore

Evergreen Shades

In Indian weddings, tones like red, pink, oranges and green have always enjoyed a comfortable spot as the favourite. This season thus saw another few shades of greens and red and the likes of pinks and oranges.

Color Tricks of the Season

Outfits by Adarsh Gill & Vikram Phadnis
Outfits by Adarsh Gill & Vikram Phadnis

Colour Blocking

A trend made famous in the 90’s pop fashion and now been showing up again for few seasons, Indian bridal fashion this season, has its own take on colour blocking. Bridal favorites like Adarsh Gill and Vikram Phadnis did it in their recent bridal collections and always classical, Neeta Lulla jumped on to the colour block trend with her own take. Taking separate block colour pieces and putting them together is fun and playful but in balance. Too many tones that clash can make the outfit look a bad caricature.

Bridal designs by Raghavendra Rathore and Vikram Phadnis
Bridal designs by Raghavendra Rathore and Vikram Phadnis

Contrasting Colours

A little less graphic than colour blocking, this trick is easier and has its subtlety in the way one can do it. To be safe, choose universally known contrasting colours that match, Reds and blue, Pinks and Green and orange and yellows, to name a few. This season most designers had pink as common choice colour and matched it with, purples, greens and blues.. Basically play with warm and cool colours to mix and match at its best.

Outfits by Tarun Tahiliani & Adarsh Gill
Outfits by Tarun Tahiliani & Adarsh Gill

Double Color Dye

Another trick seen in trend this bridal season is one colour dyed to bleed into another. Well, it’s not a new trend but, still very much in vogue. This season saw colours of the same family merge into the other. Orange turns into pink, pink turned to red and so the story goes on….

Surelee Joseph wears a Pallavi Jaikishan saree
Surelee Joseph wears a Pallavi Jaikishan saree

So choose the subtle cream to black and gold or color blocks to shaded tones. Make sure that the palette suits your sensibility and silhouette. It’s your wedding day, and you have to look your best. Don’t be shy to try new things before you make up your mind and when the going gets tough, keep it simple.