Radiating the essence of romance and glamour are three Nepali designers who are celebrated for their bridal wear.
From classic to chic to edgy, they have captured the essence of what it means to design for the woman of today.
MANISH RAI
Manish Rai specialises in bespoke bridal and evening wear and loves to design for the strong, bold and independent women of today. He draws inspiration from Nepal’s rich culture for a traditional and timeless bride while experimenting with fresh colour palettes. Popular for his glazing evening gowns worn by Miss Nepals and bridal ensembles created for NRNs, Manish Rai’s name stands apart in the world of design.
Manish Rai as a brand
As a brand ‘Manish Rai’ is the new face of embracing tradition and remembering Nepali roots. I am focused on taking the crafts to a global audience.
Inspiration behind your designs
A dive into Nepal’s beautiful landscape blending the needs of today’s generation while drawing inspirative historical figures of the past.
A Manish Rai Bride is…
A woman of today. She comes to us knowing who she is and how she’d like to be presented.
Key elements for a bridal ensemble
Colour, detailing, fabric and wearability
Making her dream dress
Every bride is different and has her own story; we understand the ideas she has and accordingly suggest what will look best. That involves the process of sketching, fabric selection, and updating during the embroidery process.
Breaking a stereotypical tradition
Intimate weddings with fewer crowds and more emotional moments to dwell upon.
QUICK BYTES
Colours for the season
Ivory and Ombré
Marriage
Together forever
Idea of romance
Spending time with a loved one in a peaceful resort
Wedding must have
Chaubandi and red saree
Popular wedding themes for 2022
Minimalist
trending bridal wear
Saree with heavy border and long veil
One thing that a couple shouldn’t compromise on at their wedding
Wedding Ensemble
TENZIN TSETEN BHUTIA
Tenzin Tseten Bhutia label stands for edgy, fluid and exclusive wear. The ingenious designer who has been applauded for his red gown at the Cannes Film Festival worn by Suraksha Panta has had his collections showcased in a Canadian magazine and at a fashion show in Hong Kong. Tenzin has set a benchmark for himself and has constantly evolved to set pace in the Nepali fashion fraternity.
Tenzin Tseten Bhutia as a brand
An amalgamation of sensitivity and uniqueness. We try to cater to something different keeping in mind the essence, aesthetic and sensitivity of the client and the occasion.
Inspiration behind your designs
Inspiration can be derived in numerous ways. In every design, it varies… it’s everywhere in the beauty of the many things that surround us in the galaxy. It depends on my mood when I am creating and I might go beyond our galaxy and enter the multiverse if I have to find inspiration.
A Tenzin Tseten Bhutia Bride experience…
It will be different than what the bride has in mind in terms of edginess. I need to understand what my client wants, explore what she has in mind which starts with a consultation and then I give it my twist to make it more memorable. I strongly believe in making a statement and embracing the style that the person possesses rather than what everyone else is doing for the wedding.
Muse @karoona_shrestha
@pooja_giree @anjana_baraili
@dream_day_nepal
Photography : @pawanjoshii
Makeup by : @thezayastudio
Designer : @tenzintsetenbhutia
Stylist : @anisha.waibaa
Jewellery : @op_collection15
On the mood board
Comfort is too cliched to start with but it’s a must. Then comes the process of giving something to excite the audience.
Key elements for a bridal ensemble
Fitting the garment so that it wraps around your body, the detailing of the surface ornamentation that you want to emboss on the garment, and finally perfect jewellery to match.
Making her dream dress
Understanding and brainstorming the design that the bride wants on her beautiful day is essential. It involves lots of chitchats and inspirations of silhouette, colour, embroidery, and a hint of emotions.
Breaking a stereotypical tradition
I love breaking rules, barriers and boundaries. It could be anything from a bride riding a horse or wearing sneakers on the big day.
Assisted by @sadeep46_
Featuring @anjana_baraili
Makeup by @nilimabasnet
Hair by @makeupbysumanlama
Styled by @sadhana_ranabhat
Jewellery by @the.empress.pvt
Location @silveroakktm
QUICK BYTES
Colours for the season
Besides red, yellow, peach, and bronze are my favourites this season.
Marriage to you…
It’s a bond that you create to make your life marvelous through thick and thin sharing your happiness, loneliness and sorrows.
Your idea of romance
Travelling to places where there is no one around: up in the mountains or on a deserted island with good food and lots of memories to create.
Wedding must have
Good sleep, comfortable pair of heels, and an ensemble that excites you
Popular wedding themes for 2022
It’s a tech generation. For instance, having a rotating round platform for making videos, lots of fun stuff and games that you can do during the D-day otherwise it’s boring just sitting around a table and eating and staring at people. Also, destination weddings are highly in trend.
Trending
Pre-shoot before the wedding with amazing attire and mind-boggling locations
One thing that couples shouldn’t compromise on at their wedding
Guest list and a big smile on your face because in the end happiness matters.
SIWANGI PRADHAN
Regarded as the luxury brand of Nepali bridal fashion, Siwangi Pradhan’s bridal wear is grand with hints of vintage that blends Nepali tradition with modernity. Her designs have graced internationally acclaimed fashion shows from New York to Hong Kong and the Cannes Film Festival. Siwangi’s understanding of infusing luxury into Nepali fashion has created a new classic that resonates with the woman of today.
Siwangi Pradhan as a brand
Siwangi Pradhan as a brand was created as a sophisticated fashion brand that would speak to the women of today. The designs resonate with them for I bring my imagination to life by blending contemporary silhouettes and traditional essentials. I try my best to ensure that my new work is not a continuation of previous collections. We make a lot of decisions to ensure that we are serving newer designs, patterns, and even the technique of how a lot of the work is done. Our focus is completely on the quality and freshness of work. What makes these designs unique is how they are fluid yet grand, depicting the richness of Nepali culture with modern silhouettes.
Inspiration behind your designs
Inspiration for designs comes from all possible aspects of life and nature. The inspiration, however, needs a backing force and in my case, it’s my undying desire to make Siwangi Pradhan brides feel elegant and empowered.
On the mood board
It’s never just one thing. We keep various things in mind. The most important of these is the freshness of the designs.
Key elements for a bridal ensemble
Besides individual choices, I would say it involves the colours, the finesse of the dress a bride wears, and matching it with the right jewellery. And a good photographer on your menu to capture your beautiful moments.
Making her dream dress
A bridal consultancy includes helping our bride choose the right colours which matches her skin tone and it becomes more important when we have both the bride and groom choose to wear Siwangi Design. Other parts of consultation include guidance on the type of handwork, material, timelines, and much more.
Breaking a stereotypical tradition in wedding ceremonies
I love experimenting and enriching our culture and traditions. I would only like to see social taboos being broken but not all stereotypes are necessarily bad.
QUICK BYTES
Colours for the season
Dark maroon and aqua blue
Marriage to you…
Sacrosanct
Your idea of romance
Romance is getting butterflies over small things
Must have for wedding
A good wedding planner
trending for bridal wear
Pastel colours for the reception day
One thing that couples shouldn’t compromise on at their wedding
There are couple of things
.To choose the right colour according to their skin tone, silhouette according to their body type.
.Good makeup artist
.Good wedding photographer
