Organza-lace saris, to jewel tones, Isha Jajodia’s Roseroom, channels femininity to self-love and frees you from weighty embellishment as her 18 k gold plated corsets tell us heavy metal is in!
By Asmitaa Aggarwal
It was a set that kept the mood light and frothy—white, lace, dimly lit, as velvety carpets channeled luxe along with silver candle stands gracefully placed. An army of eager cameramen, pouts, sea of kitten heels, Herve Leger style bodycon dresses, off the catwalk (there in), gave competition to the dainty lehengas armed with sporty jackets, capes, gilets, and a whole lot of quiet glitter that Isha Jajodia gave us for ICW 2025. Bonus: there isn’t one way to wear a lehenga, and yes you can add a little drama with lace trails and charming pearls dancing on lehengas.
Isha decided to give us doses of time travel, with 20s flapper dresses with swinging beads, flaming reds, draped skirts moved around lithe thighs of Archana Akhil Kumar (she’s a timeless beauty), and corsets sat around toned bodies. In this subtle mix was Bollywood beauty Tara Sutaria preening, looking delicious in a gold corset. “I love lace and white, corsets are very flattering, they make me feel feminine and elegant,” said the actress. This one took five months to make, and declared that a modern bride is very cool, ready to break norms.
Your dreams of being swathed in 18 karat gold plating has come true! Corsets, made in Paris, designed by Isha Jajodia, known for her love affair with hand woven lace is giving intrepid women a taste of heavy metal. With changing ideology, couture is adapting—femininity, romance, drapes have become the frontrunner of expression winning over the earlier heaviness of zardozi. “Whispers of love” is Isha’s ode to self-love, the woman she was, to the woman she is becoming, kind of notes to herself. “It is a line born out of love and longing, as I am at a time in my life when I am at ease with everything,” she smiles.
For ICW 2025, she confirms things happen, as they are willed, a divine timing unfolds, thus you can see the softness yet strength in the line, as some pieces have no embroidery. With her travels to Paris, Hong Kong, Dubai, she only fell deeper in love with timeless pieces that can be worn as heirlooms. “It has taken us six months to create corsets, gold with ivory pearl embellishments, almost elevating them to a piece of art, speaking intricately,” she explains. Corsets enhance a woman’s curves, you can wear them with almost anything-dhoti pants, palazzos, draped skirts, lehengas to traditional saris.
A vacation picture taken ten years ago, of an intricate door carving found its way on to the corset, in Paris that she revisited; even though she fails to recall the decadent palace, the memory of it stays alive. Organza silks and chiffons, can express the story of pastels and jewel tones, but Isha says clothing needs to be ageless.
She has an advantage—her son is 19, to her husband’s children in their late 30s, her friends in their 40s give her enough exposure to varied tastes. “Comfort even in occasion wear is primary, you can wear a skirt not a lehenga later with a tuxedo jacket. Now there is multiplicity of use,” she explains. Her gowns with bustles, extensive use of boning on skirts, head veils complete the look for a chic modern bride. “I design for a bride who is self-assured, doesn’t shy away from expressing what she feels,” she adds.
With the influx of Instagram, its far and wide reach, brings with it the definitive celeb angle, even though she believes a showstopper is overhyped. She chose someone who is from South Mumbai, not so much in the news, has quiet elegance so it worked well. “Anything an actress wears works, like the ivory and ice blue gown on Jacqueline Fernandes still does well, or the minty hued pre-draped, organza-lace sari with an embroidered bralet, as well as the introduction of red-hot pink this year,” she affirms.
The digital invasion gets at least 30 to 40% business, especially from social media, even if there are 20 orders a month, it makes good business sense. Though couture needs a more hands-on approach. “Insta has really upped our game, we have orders from different parts of the world, recently one from Bermuda, most unexpected,” she concludes.