Luxe label Matsya by Utkarsh Ahuja has unveiled its latest couture collection, Vintage Bridal. Inspired by the romance of royal portraits and the enduring beauty of heirloom couture, the collection reimagines bridal wear for the modern bride. Crafted in rich velvets and luxurious silks, and adorned with intricate hand embroidery, the collection features a sophisticated palette of forest green, vintage Bordeaux, Persian plum, and royal jade. Utkarsh takes us through the same.
How does this collection balance regal philosophy with the functional and aesthetic preferences of a modern bride?
For me, the line was about balancing the visual language of a contemporary bride with modern veils and Matsya’s signature artwork evoking landscapes and palaces on cloth. The colour palette also has a wide range, including vintage apricot, forest green, and Bordeaux, opening up a modern visual language for the new-age bride.
What specific elements in the design, embroidery, or textile choice make these pieces timeless?
For the Vintage Bridal line, I specifically focused on the colours of the embroidery and materials that have a sense of heritage gold, ensuring that the pieces remain timeless. The silk-based textiles, rich velvet, signature Rambagh silk, and Kora silk tissue are also pieces that can be treasured as heirlooms.
What drew you away from traditional colour palette for this bridal edit?
We’ve always been very bride and groom-forward in our approach. We wanted to include offerings that work for night weddings in a royal spirit. That’s where the idea of exploring these jewel tones came to me. For me, there is a vintage grandeur to using gold embroidery on jewel tones, with a timeless relevance that really inspired me.
The collection draws heavily from the romance of royal portraits. Were there any specific historical eras, paintings, or archives that you referred to?
We explored the royal archives, Holkar portraits, the Jaipur Gharana, and the relics of Gwalior, which are all treasures. Alongside these, a lot of portraits of European royalty became visual references for us.
What does the contemporary Indian bride expect? Do they like maximalist heritage or minimalist structure?
The most beautiful evolution I see in the bridal space is that the choice has become very individualistic. Brides are referencing their personality, their sense of self, and their personal vision when deciding on their lehengas. A more sober bride may want to wear something light and simple, while another bride may want to go all out with two veils and a long trail. Our job is to make sure we offer pieces appropriate to the occasion and wedding setting while staying true to the Matsya Modern Royalty spirit and honouring our craft, thereby facilitating the realisation of their vision for their wedding.