Dressing up the new-age bride Fashion designer Narendra Kumar tells you what inspired him to launch his first ever bridal line

Dressing up the new-age bride

Fashion designer Narendra Kumar tells you what inspired him to launch his first ever bridal line

Known for his fine tailoring and expertise in western wear, fashion designer Narendra Kumar is now venturing into the Indian bridal industry. The designer, who had been missing at the Mumbai fashion week, is also set to give the Delhi one a skip as he has been concentrating on his first bridal collection. The collection will be showcased at the bridal week in the city, next month. He says, “There are thousands of designers doing bridal wear. It took me three years to think of how I could do something different — that incorporates our style sensibilities with something Indian — and create something for the new age bride. She’s far more aware, well-travelled and has a better understanding of the finer aspects of garments.” While bridal spells crystal encrusted or paisley motif work for most designers, he wanted to bring something unique to the Indian wedding market. Admitting that the wedding industry is huge and a great way to make money, Nari is quick to point out that he could’ve ventured into this field 10 years ago, but didn’t as it took him a while to identify his niche. “It was hard initially. The Indian bride has evolved so much. Destination weddings have become a huge trend, so the challenge was to create something modern, sophisticated yet that could be heirloom pieces. I wanted to bring a global perspective to the designs,” says Nari. Talking about the spurt of new young designers, the designer says it’s just what the country needs. Nari emphasises after having the same people for the past 20 years, the young lot of designers have infused the market with a new spirit. “It’s important to realise that we are constantly changing, and how we respond to that change is what will keep us going. People say I party a lot, but actually I go out and listen to what people say and what they’re thinking. I always try to keep my head on my shoulders and ears on the ground,” he explains. Having been in this field for several years, would Nari consider writing a book? “I will write a book when I have something substantial to say. Right now, I don’t want to race into it,” he says. sanaya.chavda@dnaindia.net