If your wedding is on the cards, you need to ask yourself whether you’re getting married for love or for the love of bridal wear. Nothing reflects our culture better than a good old bridal lehenga. The rich red signifies love and emotions while the unique embroidery and stitches reflect several art forms used around the country. Regrettably, most of the pretty designer bridal wear cost an arm and a leg. Some of the up and coming brands are now trying to change this by making affordable yet beautiful clothes for your big day. Here’s a list of small scale designers who can make the Lehenga of your dreams in your budget:
1. The founders of this business want to empower themselves and contribute to the economy through this venture
Naadia and Abeer are sisters turned business partners who came up with Aberna Cuts and Stitches (@abernacutsandstitches). They have always admired the workmanship of big brands but somehow always questioned equally big price tags. Thus their brand is all about quality designs at an affordable rate. Aberna Cuts and Stitches has a stitching unit that also includes an in-house embroidery facility and a second hired unit that they use particularly for bridal wear. Their bridal range is based on conceptual designs. Each and every piece is designed according to the preference of the bride herself. The starting price of their bridal wear is Rs. 200,000. Visit their profile here!
2. This brand is known for its unique colour combinations
The idea behind Khushboo Omer (@khushbomer) was to provide freedom of choice in the designs. Often designer bridal wear doesn’t come with the option of customising the designs. At Khushboo Omer they take personal choice and trends into account while designing each item. They get inspired by in-trend designs and then blend their personal elements into these that makes the dresses unique. Moreover, they take ideas from nature to use never seen before colour combinations. The starting price of their bridal wear is Rs. 80,000. Check them out here!
3. This brand is a startup by a mother who’s trying to channel her talent through it
The founder of Maahi (@maahiluxeofficial) never wanted to be defined as just a housewife. For that reason, she continued her studies up until the age of 42. She entered the world of fashion by styling her daughters. Although it was never her goal to turn it into a business, a lot of persuasion from her family and friends convinced her. Maahi wants to make bridal wear and heavy formal wear for young millennial girls at an affordable price. They believe it isn’t fair that all the retro fashion and trendy styles fall within the price range of the richest. Most of their articles consist of modern crystals, mirrors and pearls combined with zardozi and soutache. Even the heaviest of their dresses are priced at Rs. 60,000. Order yours here!
4. This brand has a workshop and a team of karigars situated in the heart of Lahore.
For Nida, Ivory By Nida Nasir (@ivorybynidanasir) is a hobby turned passion. Her brand caters to middle-class families who can’t afford to spend millions on a wedding dress. She tries her best to customise according to the customer’s needs and budget while not compromising on quality. The process of getting a dress made by her is simple. Customers book her and pay her a visit whenever it seems suitable for them, she then discusses and sketches out the prototype dress for them. Her pieces have a starting price of Rs. 100,000. Pay her online shop a visit here!
5. This brand delivers worldwide
Erum is a fashion designer who has been helping people style for 12 years now. She had a dream of starting her own label. Poshaak By Erum Hussain (@poshaakco.pk) is an exclusive fashion hub and her dream design house. Their bridal dresses are an ode to timeless stories sewed together with love and care. They take a minimum of three months to make a fully customised bridal dress. Poshaak also offers to deliver worldwide. The starting price of their bridal wear is Rs. 200,000. Check out their designs here!
6. This mother-daughter venture started last year in the middle of the pandemic
Shahneela and Mahnoor, a mother-daughter duo, loved creating new designs of their own clothes. They started Shahnoor (@shahnoorofficial1) as a hobby and a fun space where they could showcase their talent. The appreciation from their followers made them go professional with this venture. It started off as an online shop for basic kurtas but eventually turned into a brand that offers pret, semi-formal, formal and bridal wear. Bridal wear by Shahneela is handcrafted with dabka, mukesh and sheesha work. Their formal collection starts at Rs. 100,000 and the bridal wear can go up to Rs. 500,000. Have a look at their designs here!
7. This brand has been going strong for the past 8 years
Kehkeshan’s love for dressing up and designing clothes made her start her own brand ‘Kehkeshan’ (@kehkeshanz). She believes that bridal wear in the local markets are much cheaper yet they don’t get enough attention while the designers who do get a lot of appreciation are super expensive. Her brand is the best of both worlds; it has an affordability level that of local markets but the design quality of a designer house. They make semi-formals, formals and bridal wear for their customers. Semi formals have a starting price of Rs. 6,000 and the wedding wear’s price depends on the amount of embroidery. Visit them here!
