Arpita Mehta has long mastered the art of making occasion wear feel effortless. Since launching her label in 2009, the designer has become synonymous with a distinctly modern vision of Indian festive dressing—one that balances craftsmanship with ease, glamour and wearability. Her mirror-work ensembles, sculptural blouses and fluid ruffle saris have become signatures in their own right, finding a loyal following among Bollywood’s biggest names, from Deepika Padukone and Alia Bhatt to Katrina Kaif, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Kiara Advani.
At the heart of Arpita’s design language is a fresh perspective on heritage. Traditional mirror work is reinterpreted through contemporary cuts, geometric placements, and body-skimming silhouettes, while classic Indian textiles are continually reimagined for a new generation of celebratory dressing.
Her latest collection, Everlight, continues that conversation. Built around luminous textures, weightless fabrics, and a palette of softened metallics and sun-faded pastels, the collection revisits the house’s most recognisable silhouettes—from cascading ruffle saris to fluid lehengas—with renewed lightness. Banarasi influences, delicate embellishment, and graceful movement come together to create pieces that feel romantic without excess, proving that modern occasion wear can be as effortless as it is exquisite.
In conversation with Indulge, Arpita reflects on the inspiration behind Everlight, the enduring appeal of her signature silhouettes, and why timeless design will always outshine fleeting trends.
What inspired the idea and mood behind Everlight?
Everlight talks about the essence of what our classic silhouettes leave behind; it’s a lingering feeling, something you find yourself wanting to return to. It’s not tied to a one-time mood or a single wear; it’s more like a memory that stays with you, reminding you of the first time you wore that outfit and then the moments after, each time you chose it again. Everlight captures that emotion and that mood, bringing together all our favourite classic silhouettes in a soft, romantic, and whimsical palette.
The collection speaks of “a glow that never fades.” What does that phrase mean to you creatively?
What we really mean is that the beauty of something classic never fades. The glow, the essence it leaves behind, is something that stays with you, long after the moment has passed. It’s that lasting feeling, that enduring beauty, which we wanted to capture and translate into Everlight.
How did you reinterpret your signature silhouettes for this collection?
You’ll see many of our signature silhouettes like our ruffle saris and Banarasi lehengas to our star kurtas paired with Bandhani dupattas getting reinterpreted in this collection. What makes them feel new this season is the way we’ve approached the detailing, especially through our embroidery and colour choices. We’ve introduced rose gold embroidery across beautiful shades like lavender, turquoise, and lime green, colours that aren’t usually part of our palette.
Why do you keep returning to the three-tier ruffle saris?
I’ve always had a strong preference for the ruffle sari. Season after season, even when we explore new silhouettes or experiment with variations of the ruffle sari, customers continued to return to the same cut and fit. It’s simply a beautifully designed sari. This silhouette is extremely flattering and enhances the body in a very natural way. Regardless of body type or size, it remains one of the most universally flattering ruffle sari designs we’ve created so far.
How did you approach embellishment differently this season?
I think this season, the approach to embellishment was really driven by the colour palette and the tones of the embroidery we chose. We worked with shades like sage green, warm olive, ice blue, mauve, old rose, lavender, turquoise, and lime green, colours that are quite different from our usual palette, which instantly gave the collection a fresh perspective. Alongside these softer, more unexpected hues, we paired embroidery tones like light gold and rose gold, along with intricate kardana work that beautifully highlights and elevates the mirror detailing.
What makes Everlight stand apart from your previous collections?
I feel the way we’ve presented this campaign has brought the collection into a distinctly modern light. From styling it with subtle Victorian influences in the jewellery to draping the saris in ways that move beyond their traditional forms, we’ve explored new interpretations of our classic silhouettes. The idea was to highlight the versatility of each garment—to show that these are truly multi-functional pieces that can be styled in different ways and worn seamlessly from day to night. It gives the audience a fresh perspective on how to wear them and really emphasises the collection's adaptability.
Is there one piece in the collection that feels especially personal to you?
It’s always difficult to choose just one favourite piece from a collection you’ve created, because every design holds its own significance and feels special in its own way. But if I had to pick, I would say I absolutely love the lavender Banarasi lehenga. Lavender is such a beautiful colour, and personally, I’ve always been drawn to it—but it can also be quite a tricky shade. It doesn’t always suit everyone, so getting the tone exactly right was important to us. Somehow, we found that perfect lavender, and it’s been wonderful to see how beautifully it works on everyone who comes to us. I’d also like to highlight the lime green sleeveless star kurta. It feels incredibly youthful and vibrant—there’s an electric energy to it. At the same time, it has a timeless, chic quality and is so versatile. It’s one of those pieces I would wear in a heartbeat.
Is occasion wear evolving for the modern Indian woman? How?
Occasion wear in India, I feel, is always evolving. We are progressing very quickly as a country, with a very strong sense of fashion rooted in our culture, and we have very strong opinions and a very strong look. And yes, I do feel that fashion is constantly evolving, especially where festive wear is concerned in India. Season after season, one can see there is more exploration of styles, of textiles, of crafts. People are going deeper into the various types of cultures that the country has to offer, and I think that is such an interesting thing for all of us designers.
Prices start at Rs 1,45,000. Available online.
—manuvipin@newindianexpress.com
@ManuVipin
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