With every season comes a slew of new trends. From colour trends and silhouettes, to drapes and jewellery, the world of a bridal couture is always evolving. As celebrations picked up in 2021, we are well braced for the wedding season this year as well. The wedding industry has felt the impact of the pandemic in a significant way, and that can be correlated with brides and grooms opting for small-scale weddings, comfortable (and less pricey) bridal couture and outfits that can be re-worn over their lifetime. There is also a shift of focus on bridal designs that are eco-friendly and sustainable. And 2022 will see the individuality and personal taste set fashion trends for brides.
According to Gaurang Batra, Director, Frontier Raas, brides are becoming conscious and want to showcase their individual and unique style on their wedding day. They don't wish to replicate a bridal look they've spotted. "With the pandemic affecting the guest list, brides are now dressing up and buying bridal outfits as per their sensibilities and style. A lot of customizations will happen with the main day outfit. Customizations for the dupatta, blouse cuts, and details like tassels too. We are also seeing brides get married in offbeat colours, saris and shararas. This is mainly due to less pressure from the family to dress a certain way," says Gaurang.
From Katrina Kaif's traditional bridal lehenga to Rhea Kapoor's pristine wedding sari, 2021 gave us some iconic bridal looks. Statement veils, unconventional drapes and bling took centre stage for all these outfits. So what does bridal couture for 2022 have in store? Gaurang shares the top five bridal trends that will characterise wedding couture this year.
1. Trendy blouses and drapes
As weddings get bigger, bridal trends are going back to oodles of drama. "For pre-wedding functions, brides are opting for dramatic blouses with draped details on the sleeves or shoulders."
2. Bling and drama
For 2022, elaborate lehengas and gowns with trails embellished with Swarovski crystals and pearls are going to be in trend. "Our upcoming collection will also see a lot of emphasis on pearl work detailing," he shares.
3. Story-based Lehengas
As per Gaurang, "The millennial bride is more mindful of where the outfits are from and what stories they narrate." Keeping this ideology in mind, each of the designs in the upcoming collection by Frontier Raas will have a story behind each design. One can expect to find motifs that are inspired by an era or depict a story. To enhance the story, lehengas featuring multiple kalis with different designs will also be a key design element.
4. Ivory and gold
Ivory and gold have stood the test of time and it's an evergreen colour combination. In 2022, the colour combination will be celebrated and vastly worn. "As for our new 2022 bridal collection, we are working on a lot of pieces that feature ivory and gold."
5. Veil dupattas
In 2021, Rhea Kapoor gave the dupatta veil a new meaning. Donning a pristine white pearl veil, the celebrity stylist set the tone for bridal fashion for 2022. "One of the big trends and demands of brides are long veils with their lehengas for the main day. Some brides are slightly conservative with the length of the trail and many are very experimental," quoted Gaurang. But the bottom line remains that veil dupattas will see a surge this year.
Check out actor Rakul Preet Singh in Frontier Raas’ statement-making bridal collection in our latest issue. Download your free copy here!