For the talented designers, the Raasleela Bridal Fashion Week is their “way of inspiring people to understand & appreciate intricate craft.”
On their journey to fame, Parvesh Kumar and Jai Singh, Vancouver’s renowned and extremely talented fashion designer duo, turned traditions into trends. Their stunning bridal collection is all set to raise eyebrows once again at the Raasleela Bridal Fashion Week Canada this April.
Much before Raasleela took shape, the brand ‘Parvesh Jai’ was born, the vision of two fresh NIFT (India) graduates, with no fashion background, no celebrated mentors and no investors to bank upon. Shahpur Jat, an urban village in South Delhi with its favourable rentals, resources and the best of talent, set the stage for their dream to take off in 2001. Acceptance was gradual for these young fashion designers, but their zeal kept them going. Soon enough their talent got noticed and they started designing for Bollywood divas, received orders from famous movie makers, and also popular TV channels.
After successfully setting up three showrooms in New Delhi and being invited to Milan, Paris and Athens to showcase their work, they took Parvesh Jai to Europe, set foot in the United States, and finally moved to Canada on a well-wisher’s suggestion. The Vancouver Fashion Week 2014 helped them test the waters all over the country before finally setting base in Vancouver.
Somewhere during their stint in the US, Parvesh and Jai decided to take the leap and move to traditional outfit designing. That’s how ‘Raasleela’ was born in 2010. “Raas is the act of decorating oneself and everything around. Being Krishna devotees, this name had always fascinated us. We were inspired seeing followers decorate Lord Krishna’s temples not out of duty, but with devotion,” explains Jai. The idea was to weave this devotion into every thread of their creations, perhaps the main reason these devoted designers landed in the spotlight really soon in their lives.
In Indian mythology, Raasleela is an ecstatic dance by Lord Krishna and his beloved Radha’s sakhis. A divine celebration beside the river Yamuna as the sky shines in all its glory with a full moon, and the land squares its shoulders with a full bloom. Imagine the beauty, the colours, the charisma, and picture it all on a bridal gown. That’s what Parvesh and Jai are capable of. They are blessed with the gift of bringing to life this dance of divine love through their designs, prints and fabrics.
Every piece at Raasleela is painstakingly intricate and that’s why, one-of-a-kind. This multi-designer store aims to connect buyers to designers from around the world, while retailing their masterpieces at the original prices. What better place than Canada, a multicultural country to do so!
The Raasleela Bridal Fashion Week is truly the most spectacular display of wedding outfits. “Raasleela is a platform where gifted designers from small towns of India and Pakistan get the recognition they deserve with the chance to showcase their work,” shares Jai. He adds, “It is the means of livelihood for several hundred artists who have nothing except for their art. These designers weave their emotions into each fiber. The price tag is just a way to respect their patience, effort and dedication.”
For the talented designers, the Raasleela Bridal Fashion Week is their “way of inspiring people to understand and appreciate intricate craft.” The event is instrumental in bringing together admirers and fabric-art connoisseurs from around the world with the original makers; the very reason the brand will soon be launching raasleelaonline.com, their ecommerce website.
This year, Raasleela Bridal Fashion Week Vancouver has spread its wings to five cities and is now titled Raasleela Bridal Fashion Week Canada. The event begins on April 14, 2018, in Vancouver with a lavish dinner at Fairmont Waterfront, to be attended by the crème de la crème of Canada, followed by the stunning showcase on April 15. On April 18 and 19, the exhibition will move to Surrey; on April 21 to Calgary; and on April 22 and 28, to Edmonton and Toronto respectively.