Designer Shweta Kapur’s wedding wardrobe was a masterclass in personal style over bridal clichés

My cocktail sari is on the machine as we speak. We finalised everything just this week,” says designer Shweta Kapur when I call her to discuss her wedding wardrobe. A perfectly normal statement from a bride-to-be, except the event in question is just three days away. But there isn’t a trace of panic in Kapur's voice. “I’ll go buy something if there are any issues,” she carries on rather calmly.Though Kapur’s Zen-like approach, in a situation that would tip many brides into a state of anxious frenzy, comes as no surprise. She is, after all, the founder of contemporary wear label 431-88 whose very archetype is the girl doesn’t fuss over her clothes too much—a girl who’s got ‘it’, and approaches dressing up with this air of effortless nonchalance. Much like Kapur herself.

Kapur got engaged to her entrepreneur partner Raghav Gupta more than a year ago. December 2024 was locked in for the big fat Delhi wedding well in advance. But Kapur says she wasn’t in any rush to finalise her looks. Being in the business of fashion naturally helped to bring it all together on short notice. But having a strong sense of personal style helped even more. “I was sure of one thing—I did not want to wear one of the same top three couturiers that most brides opt for, because I did not want to look like everyone else.You just end up being the designer’s vision in those cases,” she admits candidly. “I am surrounded by clothes all day and night. So my bridal looks needed to be very me, with storytelling woven into it. Most people know me because of my brand, but this was also an exciting opportunity to showcase who I am beyond that, and what my own style is.”

 

Shweta Kapur in a signature mirror work skirt by Itrh and white menswear shirt from her own label 431-88 for her dhol night; Image: courtesy Bhavya Kapoor and Mohan Amgaokar 

The sundowner mehendi: the designer wore a statement bejewelled blouse from Ensemble and paired it with a lehenga by Kunal Rawal; Image: Courtesy Eshant Raju and House on the Clouds

A MARRIAGE OF MINDS

Kapur worked with industry experts she resonated with to realise this vision. Stylist Mohit Rai was one of the first few people she called. “He was one of my first friends in fashion. We started around the same time, and would often joke that he would style me for my wedding whenever it happened,” she recalls.

Rai reveals the difference in the styling process when the bride is also a designer.“You’re then working with a bride who is not just thinking about aesthetics. She is more insightful on the technical aspects of how her garments are made,” says the stylist. He adds that they kept in mind that Kapur is a,“fashion girl who can easily pull off a lot of things others may not be able to. She is also not your typical bride wanting to follow mundane themes. So we went more conceptual and editorial with our picks.There was individuality and personality behind every choice,” says Rai. For her bridal bling, Kapur enlisted the expertise of jewellery consultant Arundhati De-Sheth, who helped her make informed buys.

AND THE BRIDE WORE...

Where possible, the bride wanted to mix and match brands for a unique repertoire. For the dhol night, Kapur and Rai created a mélange of Itrh, a festive wear label Rai runs with Ridhi Bansal, and 431-88.The result was a signature mirror work skirt from Itrh with a white menswear shirt from Kapur’s own label.“Mohit added mirror tassels to its yoke and shoulders.”

For the sundowner mehendi look, she decided to experiment with traditional elements.The look was built around a statement bejewelled blouse from Ensemble. “They were one of my first buyers, and the team is like family to me,” says Kapur of the personal connection. She then asked Kunal Rawal to design the lehenga for it, with animal motifs and tonal embroidery that borrowed from South Indian temple jewellery. “The cut had the touch of a menswear designer, which I loved. It was beautifully structured,” explains the bride.What really made the look was the parandi and hair jewels that upped the drama. “We really went all out with it.” For the pheras, Kapur wanted to have her, “big princess moment in a lehenga.” But she also needed the piece to balance heritage and modernity to align with her personality. She found the perfect collaborator in Jade by Monica & Karishma.The colour—a delicate sage green— was the first thing Kapur was drawn to.“It gave the piece this vintage allure.The details also evoked antique charm while still being contemporary,” adds Monica Shah, co- founder of the bridal couture label.Shah used her signature cutdana and kasab techniques with crystals and French knots to create this lehenga. “We used zardozi on the dupatta, andVictorian lace on the veil for a unique blend of East-meets-West sophistication,” Shah reveals. True to her vision to keep it original, Kapur skipped polkis and diamonds, and wore this with an emerald suite instead.

IN HER OWN

 

While Kapur did not want to wear her own creations for the main events, it couldn’t be entirely missing from her wardrobe either.“To be honest, I was lazy to work for my own wedding,” laughs the designer, whose pre-draped saris are a wedding season staple for many. “But also because 431-88 has never been about dressing the bride for the pheras.We want to dress the bride when she’s done with the peacocking, and just wants to be herself at her after-party,” adds Kapur. So, she slipped into a draped skirt and embroidered blouse from her own brand, paired with the dupatta from her Jade lehenga, to dance the night away after the pheras. For the cocktail reception the next evening, she decided to go all white. “I love the colour, and wanted one white wedding look. My name also means white. It felt apt to tie all that in.” Kapur and her atelier created a pristine white sari with a pearl blouse and cape.To accessorise it, they made 431-88’s version of kaleeras, also in pearls.“I know a lot of people may have felt it was too simple an outfit for the bride. But I truly believe that when you know your style, you don’t need anything else. You won’t feel the need for all that noise around your look.” And that’s exactly the sentiment this bride said yes to all through her celebrations.
 

Lead Image: House on the Clouds 

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