It’s that time of the year when every city in India is flooded with weddings. It’s also that time of the year when the NRI families return back to their homeland to shop for the wedding season.
Having said that,
From couture brands housed in the bustling streets of C.G Road, Ashram road and Thaltej to the local ones situated in the city’s by-lanes, Ahmedabad, the city of textiles, does not disappoint the fashion aficionados looking for heritage and in-vogue wedding ensembles.
Take a look at Ciceroni’s curated list of top 15 stores in Ahmedabad to look forward to when you go wedding shopping.
Asopalav
Asopalav is one of the most trusted names in Ahmedabad, when it comes to custom-made bridal and wedding ensembles. From the traditional silk sarees of the south to the bridal lehenga cholis with royal embellishments from the north, Asopalav is home to all. Shop from their awe-inspiring collection of bridal silk sarees, lehenga cholis, gowns in indo-western silhouettes and anarkalis.
Shyamal and Bhumika
Designers Shyamal and Bhumika take pride in their intricately-detailed and handwoven couture pieces. From lehenga cholis in vibrant shades that are rich in Indian embroidery for the traditional bride to the indo-western gowns and sarees in pastel shades for the millennial bride, their range is perfect for all the brides who are looking out for something special.
Darshi Shah Bhavin Trivedi
Well known for their panetar sarees, Darshi Shah Bhavin Trivedi also design lehenga cholis, lehenga sarees, shararas with traditional motifs on the fabrics and long embroidered jackets that can be teamed with gowns to create a regal look. You will also find royal corsets that are reminiscent of the Elizabethan era.
Umang Hutheesing
Umang Hutheesing is known as the royal designer in the city. Inspired by the ceremonial dresses of Delhi Durbar, the ensembles like sarees, kalidar ghagras and anarkalis recreate sophisticated elegance and unmatched grandeur. Shop for the rich brocades, silks, velvets and delicate chiffons detailed with intricate embroidery, karcho work, heavy zardosi and precious stones. His eponymous label speaks of heritage Indian textiles, fabrics and artisanal workmanship.
Deepkala Silk Heritage
Panetar and Gharchola form an integral part of any Gujarati wedding. Deepkala is well- known across Ahmedabad for their variety of Panetar sarees (if you are the bride to-be, this is your shopping guide!) The saree collection of Deepkala Silk Heritage will appeal to all those who love rich embroidery work like aari and zardosi. Be prepared to get swooned by an array of prints and vibrant colours at this go-to destination for all Gujarati brides.
Ekaya
The tradition of pure, hand crafted and hand woven sarees have seamlessly entered in the Indian corporate world. You can find Banarasi sarees, silk lehengas, angarakhas, indo-western ensembles like crop tops and palazzo sets and long embellished jackets in multiple colour combinations and designs. If saree is what you fancy, select sarees from their rich festive range as heirloom collectibles.
Viral Ashish
Ashish and Viral Parikh’s joint label Virtues aims at reviving the rich heritage of kalamkaris, ashavallis, kota, mashru, bagru prints, indigo and many more. Together, the designers have showcased their creations at the prestigious Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week, Miami International Fashion Week and London Premier India Fashion Week. Their label- Virtues has designed clothes for celebrities like Sona Mohapatra, Karisma Kapoor and Malhar Thakkar.
Multi-designer stores – Shop for your favourite designers here!
Elan
Find some of the popular designs from Lakme Fashion Week’s runway at Elan- The Multi-designer Store. From embroidered jackets, anarkali dresses, low-waist lehengas with stylish blouses, sensuous sarees to floral printed apparels; it’s your one stop destination where you will find everything you need for your wedding trousseau. The list of designers you can shop from include: Sabyasachi, Rohit bal, Anju Modi, Payal Pratap, Raghuvendra Rathore, Krishna Mehta, Anushree Reddy, Bhumika Sharma, Rajdeep Ranawat, Myoho, Pero, Raw mango, Anavila, AM:PM, Joy Mitra, Jayanti Reddy, and many others.
Sans- The Multi-Designer Studio
Sans – The Multi Designer Studio speaks of India’s rich legacy of textiles, embroideries and colours. Look forward to an array of options in reception gowns, sarees, anarkalis, shararas, ghararas and flowy maxi dresses for the millennial bride. From pastel shades, jewel tones to earthy colours, you will find everything here for festive occasions and weddings.
Monsoon-The Multi-Designer Store
Shop for haute couture, bright-hued lehenga cholis, embroidered rich anarkalis, evening gowns with embellishments and the traditional shararas and ghararas from the collections of well-known designers like Dolly J, Anushree Reddy, Khara Kapas, DevNaagri, Aekatri, Myoho, Siddhi and Loka. Be sure to find luxury bridal outfits in pastel hues, mustard yellows for haldi ceremonies, bright colours for a true-blue Indian wedding and flowy gowns for a party night.
Moh Studio
This multi-designer prêt wear store has off the rack and ready to wear in ethnic, semi-bridal and bridal collection. One can find anarkalis, embroidered sarees, customized lehenga-cholis, flowy skirts and festive ensembles with perfect fit and designs here. Avinash Tomar, Shaila and Ashini are some of the designers to look forward to at Moh Studio.
Flair- The Multi-designer studio
FLAIR – The Multi Designer Studio is home to the festive pret and bridal collections of your favourite A-list designers like Masaba Gupta, Nikhil Thampi, Pooja Shroff and Ayushi Bhasin along with 20 other designers from across the country. From statement jewellery pieces, accessories and footwear to embroidery rich ensembles like kurtis, tops, tunics, evening gowns, sarees and lehengas; you have tons of options to choose from.
Atosa
A branch of Mumbai-based multi-designer luxury retail store, Atosa has an exclusive range of designer labels under one roof. You can find bridal and semi-bridal collections of Lakme Fashion Week designers and popular labels including Neeta Bhargava, Anisha Shetty, Aekatri, Roshni Chopra, Urvashi Joneja, Sharnita Nandwana and Mayank Anand Shraddha Nigam to name a few.
The Avakasa Multi-designer Fashion House
If you are aiming for a perfect celebrity look, head to Avakasa. The studio has semi-bridal and bridal creations of renowned Indian designers like Shivan and Narresh, Nitin Bal Chauhan, Falguni and Shane Peacock, Manish Arora and Tarun Tahiliani. Luxury fusion wear, contemporary silhouettes, anarkalis and ghagra cholis in distinct fabrics make the overall store space a discerning mix.
Nautanky by Nilesh Parashar
Shop from the bridal couture collections of some of the most established designers. Mixing traditional craftsmanship and rich textiles from all over the India and blending them seamlessly with digital and screen printing. The ensembles are handcrafted with immaculate detailing, intricate surface ornamentation and uber cool prints, giving an elegant, simple and smart look with a dramatic twist. Get dresses for your wedding functions with their pret bridal ensembles like hand embroidered kalidaars, double layered lehengas teamed with crop tops and indo-western gowns.
Also, check out labels/stores like The Wardrobe Theorem, Anuraag K, Anuradha Vakil, KasheeshK and Deval- The Multi Designer Store.
Keep this list as a handy guide the next time you step out to go shopping for the big day!
