Renowned designer duo — Shyamal and Bhumika’s latest edit Summer Dreams perfectly captures the spirit of summer with its joyous burst of colours and free-flowing silhouettes.
Free-flowing silhouettes combined with expert craftsmanship, reflecting the serenity of nature, set the mood for Shyamal & Bhumika’s ethereal Spring-Summer 2022 Couture collection — Summer Dreams. A perfect ode to summers, the bridal edit is everything the new-age Indian bride would want for her dreamy summer wedding.
Renowned for their love for India’s precious crafts and artisans’ techniques, which is an intrinsic part of all their collections, the designer duo — Shyamal and Bhumika Shodhan has created beautiful pieces that are sure to add a touch of panache and emotion to every celebration.
Framing his thoughts behind the latest collection, couturier Shyamal Shodhan says, “The Shyamal & Bhumika Spring-Summer 2022 Couture collection, ‘Summer Dreams’ reflects the year spent by us surrounded by nature and tranquillity. With floral inspirations, free-flowing forms and romantic playful details, the collection is a poetic blend of hand-embroidered masterpieces, designed using age-old craft techniques in a mix of silhouettes and colours. The spring couture collection exudes a fun, fresh and feminine aura while preserving the precious craftsmanship which is rare and timeless for our global muse. Shyamal & Bhumika’s signature contrasting floral embroidery also makes a distinct appearance through the collection.”
The designers, who have dressed the crème-de-la-crème of Bollywood including the likes of Kareena Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Deepika Padukone, Kiara Advani, Kriti Sanon, Kangana Ranaut among others, were inspired by the independent woman to create this dreamy collection which is rooted in tradition yet is relevant to modern sensibilities.
“The Shyamal & Bhumika muse is an independent woman, effortlessly elegant, has a unique sense of style and values her roots and traditions, regardless of where she lives in the world. Our artisanal workmanship appeals to her global thought, and she styles herself in handcrafted couture for her most important day. Our muse enjoys western nuances juxtaposed with the intricate crafts of her region, to create an identity of her own without being ruled by passing trends. A global muse who appreciates beauty in the details, limitlessly inspiring timeless masterpieces of fashion and phenomenal craft”, explains Shyamal, who along with Bhumika Shodhan established the label Shyamal & Bhumika in 2003.
Speaking about the brand, Shyamal informs, “We have been on a mission to take the crafts and skills of India to the world. Being one of the most globally followed Indian designers on social media, we have been able to make some headway in our mission and establish a connection between the niche, multicultural population abroad and the rich Indian craftsmanship. As our designs evolve to appeal to a larger audience, we are taking the crafts of India to mainstream Global fashion. As couturiers, we believe in promoting these ancient crafts and help in the advancement of those sections of society who would lose not only their heritage but also their livelihood if these crafts are not revived and preserved.”
Ever since they established the brand, the designer duo has been working relentlessly towards reviving India's precious crafts and artisans’ techniques through their collections. Summer Dreams is also an extension of the designers deep-rooted love for fine Indian craftsmanship. “We are passionate about nurturing craft by hand and have engaged master craftsmen to embroider beautiful motifs in signature embroideries. We have used intricate aari, zardosi, resham, marodi and even appliqué, pitta and khaat to make each design in the collection unique by paying extreme attention to details and blending our Indian aesthetic with modern sensibilities. We support diverse types of age-old craft techniques; our most important project is that of reviving the ancient weaving technique from the Gujarat Region which is the Amdavadi Real Zari Weaving Technique,” explains Shyamal.
Aptly named Summer Dreams, the resulting collection comprises some exceptional silhouettes such as graceful floor-sweeping panelled lehengas with dramatic trailing veils and hemlines, exaggerated and voluminous sleeves, bias skirts, sensuous blouses with plunging necklines, open shouldered bodices, fish-tail skirts, ruffled saris, romantic sleeves, trailing lehengas, high-collared blouses, halter necks, pleated bustiers, one-shoulder blouses, and gorgeous veils. All in a variety of fabrics ranging from handwoven silks to crepe de chine, georgettes, satins, and tulle with delicate sequinned and beautiful hand embroideries like aari, zardosi, peeta, hand-embroidered shimmer, beadwork, appliqué and handcrafted silk threads embellished with crystals.
The edit further comes to life and stands out with its joyous colour palette. “The colour palette for this wedding season is a mix of antique pastel shades and jewel colours like English rose pink, moon grey, dusty mint, muted ivory, champagne, deep blue, emerald green and smokey-grey and raspberry-red with intricate embroidery, which will be perfect for a princess bride,” says Shyamal.
Summer Dreams is available at Shyamal & Bhumika stores located in Ahmedabad, Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai-India and the Los Angeles-United States. The collection can also be ordered online by connecting their sales team online via email at sales@shyamalbhumika.com or visiting their website at www.shyamalandbhumika.com