Shyamal & Bhumika’s Haveli collection transforms architectural splendour into pieces of wearable art
Designer label Shyamal & Bhumika’s new collection, Haveli, is inspired by their centuries-old ancestral home in the old pols of Ahmedabad. These havelis are repositories of memory, storytelling, and faded opulence, and the designers have tried to capture that in couture. Drawing from jaali-filtered courtyards, hand-painted frescoes, carved balconies, and lime-washed walls, the motifs and silhouettes have an old-world charm.
Haveli by Shyamal & Bhumika revives the elegance of old Ahmedabad
Accents of sequins, glass beads, and crystals replicate the shimmer of antique mirrors and fading sunlight. A pastel palette of dusty rose, powder peach, mint, almond, and oxidised gold is juxtaposed with jewel tones of ruby, rani pink, forest green, and indigo. The silhouettes include regal panelled bridal lehengas, structured sherwanis, elegant saris, kalidaars and shararas with trailing veils and sculpted blouses. The designer duo takes us through this timeless range.
Haveli is inspired by your ancestral home. Take us through the journey of turning your memories into designs.
Shyamal: Walking through the haveli as children, we were always enchanted by its textures, sun-faded frescoes, jaalis casting patterned shadows, and wood-carved balconies telling stories of peacocks, flowers, and sacred symbols. Those visuals stayed with us. For this collection, we reinterpreted them into embroidery, motifs, and silhouettes. A fresco becomes a pastel palette of dusty rose and mint; a jaali becomes an heirloom-inspired veil; carved balconies find new life in zardozi and resham work. It’s our way of turning memory into wearable history.
How have you played with textures and fabrics in this collection to bring out that old-world charm?
Bhumika: We wanted every garment to feel like a tactile memory. We’ve layered zardozi, aari, peeta, and resham embroideries with sequins, glass beads, and crystals like the shimmer of fading sunlight on antique mirrors. Fabrics carry muted tones of aged lime walls, contrasted with jewel tones of ruby and emerald, much like frescoes against old wood. Silks, organzas, velvets, and sheer drapes give the collection its regal depth while ensuring it feels timeless yet relevant.
Architecture has always been an inspiration for your label. Tell us more about how you replicate it in designs.
Shyamal: For us, it’s never about literal translation but interpretation. Jaali work, arches, domes, and frescoes become motifs in embroideries, panelling on lehengas, or structural details in silhouettes. In Haveli, for instance, a carved balcony inspired our lehenga borders, while jaalis became scalloped dupatta edges. We see architecture as an heirloom and couture as the medium to carry it forward.
What else inspires your works?
Bhumika: Beyond architecture, we draw inspiration from India’s folklore, miniature paintings, gardens, and even personal stories.
How much has couture been able to hold its ground in the context of luxe and light prêt wedding wear options flooding the markets?
Bhumika: While ready-to-wear has grown rapidly, couture continues to hold its space because it offers something irreplaceable: heritage, handwork, and emotion. It’s a keepsake, a memory you can pass on. Today’s brides want comfort and versatility, but they also deeply value craft and authenticity. Couture gives them both.
How has bridal couture shaped up in all these years?
Bhumika: Bridal couture has become more diverse and personal. While earlier it leaned heavily toward traditional red lehengas and gold work, today brides want individuality. They’re exploring pastels, jewel tones, fusion silhouettes, and statement embroideries that tell their own story. The essence of bridal couture heritage and grandeur remains the same, but the expression has evolved into something far more versatile and intimate.
What are the bridal wardrobe must-haves?
Bhumika: A timeless bridal lehenga that reflects your personality, an elegant sari, a versatile dupatta or veil that can be styled in multiple ways, and a statement blouse or jacket that can be re-styled. Beyond that, investment in one truly artisanal piece is a must.
What’s raging in the Diwali festive occasion wear?
Shyamal: For Diwali, the mood is celebratory yet intimate. Sharara sets, kalidaars, and saris in jewel tones paired with oxidised gold and antique embroidery are trending. People are choosing lighter, versatile couture pieces that carry the opulence of heritage but with the ease of movement for long evenings of festivities. Playful layering, statement dupattas, and a return to traditional crafts like zardozi and aari in contemporary palettes are defining festive wear this season.
