Social media is awash with photographs of brides confidently taking the big step. This is certainly a far cry from women, on the threshold of marriage, who would be as shy as the mimosa pudica. Today, however, they are bold, free-thinkers, trend-setters, choice-makers, independent, career-oriented and super c lassy.  r their big day to nailing a hath-phool or a queen nath and going with minimal makeup and glittery eyeshadows — they don’t shy away from the unconventional.

And designer Amit Aggarwal’s bride is all of that and more. He feels that since the traditional concepts of a wedding have evolved over time, this change has brought about a newness in the ensembles of both brides and grooms. “They have become more experimental and bold with their choices. Moreover, they are choosing to wear garments that are a representation of their personality. They love to play around with different colours and materials that we use to create contemporary ensembles. And this collection is for the new-age bride, who is bold, experimental and sexy,” says he as he follows the same approach to design his collection, Lumen, showcased at the India Couture Week 2019.

So what does Lumen signify? The scientific term is a unit of measurement for the brightness of light. “For our couture collection this year, we were inspired by the exchange of light and it’s energy through an overlay of framework, fluidity and form in the human and plant anatomy,” he says and goes on to add that the idea had occurred to him when he was in London for a few months recently and one evening, he happened to stumble upon a virtual reality experience at the Saatchi Gallery called We Live in an Ocean of Air. “The concept illuminated the invisible yet fundamental connection between the human and natural world. I stepped through the canvas to explore a magical realm where the invisible exchange of light and its energy between humans and nature was beautifully brought to life. It was amazing to see how the two were perfectly blended into each other and it is something that we never usually notice but is ever-present. We see Lumen as a celebration of that unique light that illuminates us and makes us the individuals that we are,” he explains.

With each collection, he says, he tries to push the limit of a completely new colour and for the longest time, he has been toying with the idea of fusing of colour that actually has a very “strong, industrial feeling but at the same time, is also deeply rooted in our culture.”

He uses teal as the base as he thinks that “it hasn’t received it’s due in the Indian couture. We thought that it would be quite interesting to introduce a colour that has panned over centuries as a Western classic and an Indian jewel tone but not really seen a lot when it comes to couture fashion.”

The designer, who is known for his signature style of blending technology and designs to create ensembles that are structurally different and present a unique designscape, tells us why Mathematics inspires his collection. “I grew up working on engineering projects with my father and learnt the complex Mathematics that went into it. This observation was the basis of my understanding of form and structure,” says he.

Using traditional zardozi and ari hand techniques, his collections have showcased a regular pattern of stripes in his designs. And it continues in his current collection as well. Says he, “More than that, I truly believe that our aesthetics are our signature. And it should always be a part of our design ethos. This year, we have pushed this further by styling the ensembles with geometric, precious jewellery by Narayan Jewellers and angular, embroidered shoes by Dyuti Bansal.”

Through intricate motifs and embroideries, he says that in the collection, he has used layers of recycled polymer understructures, which pave the way for the fluidity that comes through the illusionary movement of textiles. He has collaborated with Taani by Tanira Sethi for the second time to create designs by using “one-of-a-kind” traditional textile. “Her motifs represent natural life forms, which have been converted into architectural formation. And this ideology of Taani perfectly matches with the theme of our collection,” he says.

Talking about Indian textiles and how their blending with Western silhouettes has brought about a change in the Indian fashion scene, he feels that the modern Indian couture is a beautiful amalgamation of the heritage, culture and craftsmanship of the country with a “completely new and modern” aesthetic. “It has been a challenge but also my constant endeavour to redefine Indian bridal couture and establish a distinct identity by engineering innovative designs while effortlessly combining our country’s rich textile heritage and our commitment to environmental sustainability,” he says.

Sustainability has been the talk of the fashion town since a decade now. And for this show, Amit, for whom “environmental sustainability has always been an integral part of his design sensibility,” has used his signature, recycled polymer details through all his pieces either as embellishments or as under-layers to sheer pieces.

The Indian fashion industry is in the pink of health if fashion weeks are anything to go by. Talking about how these have been on the rise since quite a few years in the country, Amit says, “It is so important to have a platform for designers so that they can exhibit their vision in the most creative way possible. I feel like this is one of the main reasons why fashion weeks in India have increased in popularity over the last decade. I feel great pleasure to be opening the couture week this season. Even though an opening show comes with its own set of challenges and heightened expectations, as a brand, we have continuously enjoyed that.”