Economical festive shopping doesn’t have to be boring or splurge-proof, says Eshaani Jayaswal 

Here's what trending this festive season
Fiorella ombré bouffant gown with braided bodice
Fiorella ombré bouffant gown with braided bodice

Eshaani Jayaswal’s autumn/winter collection La vie en Rose -- just like the Edith Piaf song -- washes you away with romance. The designer’s pastel ombre palates, breezy bouffant skirts and French knot detailing are exactly what Emily from Emily in Paris would wear to a desi wedding. It essentially fits the Gen-Z approved ‘escapist fashion’ memo, which is fantastical and yet, tireless and repeatable. While no one saw wedding styling joining forces with holiday dressing, the shift towards mindful shopping has made everyone more adaptable, leaving more space for designers to get imaginative. 

Fleur applique saree hand embellished with bugle beads, French knots and sequins details.
Fleur applique saree hand embellished with bugle beads, French knots and sequins details.

“This particular collection doesn’t have bridal pieces, but we are planning to extend this line to include heavier lehengas which could be worn to a sangeet or a pre-wedding event. This year, everyone is willing to go adaptable and creative. For mehendis, for instance, we are now designing ensembles with a lot of ‘ghera,’ or bouffant skirts, which can be very versatile” Eshaani shares. 

Jayaswal also gets the most amount of winter wedding shopper traffic from across the country. So we asked the designer to tell us what to buy this season, especially if one is looking to be smart:

What do you think has been the most remarkable shift in terms of bridal shopping?

What’s happening now is that buyers want more from one piece. So, it’s about the functionality, whether they’re going to serve the purpose of one occasion and then be useful beyond it. When the lockdown started, a lot of pre-wedding festivities were cancelled, so we started teaching people how to drape one piece differently to maximise its use. 

There are certain lehengas which can be repeated like a gown if you style it differently, with maybe a dupatta, so it’s about opting for an entirely new vibe for each look.

Tell us about the La vie en Rose line-up 

The collection has a watercolour feel and we have worked with lighter fabrics. The one thing I really wanted is to create more wearable clothes. I personally do not like numbers which are too heavy. So, we have used a mix of georgette, crepes, net, organza etc. We have used another blended cotton fabric which is along the lines of linen, we have used it to make some pantsuits and trousers because I’m very specific about how they fall. 

Are people willing to spend less now?

The shift isn’t monetary, exactly. They don't want to spend less, but they are mostly shopping less in terms of quantity volume, thus the need for smarter shopping.

You also launched your website in May...

Yes! That has been going great because the site acts like a lookbook and since we have been catering to Zoom appointments and one-on-one interactions, people can always reach out to us and ask for a certain look. Since we re-opened the doors to our studio a few months back, the number of walk-ins have gone up and people have steadily been coming back to how they used to shop.

How did the Covid crisis affect your production work?

There were some massive changes in our production pattern, we specialise in applique, so there are particular channels we use and there are a lot of interactions involved in the production that had to be changed since there are so many people working with us. Moreover, my core team has also changed.

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