Basra pearls, Banarasis, Khada duppattas with ultra-modern corsets, Jayanti Reddy, a business graduate, self-taught designer, offers brides a potent mix of traditional with now at the Hyundai India Couture Week 2024. The highlight has been her collaboration with Italian jewellery powerhouse-Bvlgari.
By Asmita Aggarwal
One thing is clear Jayanti Reddy loves colour, she comes from the city of Nizams, Hyderabad, and being a first timer at the Hyundai India Couture Week 2024, she announced the arrival of fuchsias and bright reds even as pastels had taken over the runway. Colour washed the ramp, as asymmetrical kaftans, some came with one shoulder, made way for every hue of the red family, and even its closest cousins. Newly married beauty from the city of Nizams, Aditi Rao Hydari told us wearing a roomy sharara, with tone-on-tone embroidery and a jacket was the right choice.
Veteran model, Carol Gracias’ opened the show, Reddy, introduced corsets with lehengas, simpler capes constructed to go with heavy lehengas without forgetting tradition—a range of Banarasis and brocades.
When you are a debutant, you are unaware of market forces, you tread carefully, internally you are happy you got this fabulous opportunity—Jayanti Reddy, must be thinking as she shines on the India Couture Week 2024 runway.
Reddy, from Hyderabad is growing with one store in Kala Ghoda, and one ready to open in Delhi at DLF Emporio, soon, but the business administration and marketing graduate from Case Western Reserve University, Ohio, USA, is a self-taught designer. Couture is about heavier pieces, I have been doing lighter ones for sangeet, mehndi, cocktails to bachelorette parties. I love bling, shimmer, my brand caters to myriad buyers from 21 to 65 years, she adds. Reddy has been an ardent admirer of everything au natural, even Kanchipurams.
Experimentation is the key to success, jewel tones work best, pastels are a perennial favourite, and coming from the city of Nizams, she incorporated zardozi and zari, but makes sure it doesnt hurt the wearer. I have also used extensive threadwork and beads; you can wear my choli with another less ornate skirt, or the lehenga with a plain shirt, or the blazer that comes with the sari can be teamed with jeans, she adds, hoping her couture pieces will not stay locked up in a trunk. Reddy wanted a part of the over-the-top royalty to reflect in the linethus Basra pearls, detailing became the focus.
Earlier flares worked, now everything has become sleeker, even though it remains a challenge to think of a theme every year, sometimes twice a year, Jayanti believes, the extravagant Nizami culture forms a potent inspiration. The way they manipulated gold, combined it with pearls, is what I attempted to showcase this season, she exclaims. The vintage Khada dupattas worn even over saris, add a touch of regality, and of course drama, it is the traditional costume of Muslim brides. Reddy has always worked with Banarasis, even creating jumpsuits in brocade, or corsets to be worn with saris.
Women entrepreneurs must be respected especially when you dont belong to a fashion background and dont follow trends, start with one tailor. In fact, not following the set template helped her, and her business training in running a team of 250. When I started, in 2012, I wanted to dress a woman who was working and wanted something to wear that accentuated her status. Now, Im dressing brides, which I never thought I would, she adds.
Whether its the bride or her extended family, there is something for everyoneeven the Ajrak dyed kurtas are an all-time favorite. Celeb dressing always helps, if its natural brand extension, I look at it as a form of support to the designer, as a lot of people like to emulate their style, she adds and hopes she too can soon do a film with Sanjay Leela Bhansali, or a period drama like Heeramandi.
Despite doing bridal, Reddy believes recycling is part of her brands DNA, no fabric is allowed to go waste, they make either bags or tassels. I also advise brides to reuse their lehengas, we pull out the can-can, upcycle the old ones, make Anarkalis out of full skirts, she confesses, as she is back after a hiatus, the last show she did was in 2019.
The most interesting collaboration for Reddy has been one that came organically—with the Italian jewellery powerhouse, Bulgari. They told me my clothes fit best into design ideology, as they wanted to market their uber luxe Serpenti watches and jewelled pieces. We shot a campaign in Bangkok, with my saris with blazers, and there is another to happen, it is in the pipeline, she admits, adding working with a luxury brand has been thrilling.