Parsi brides have long had a beautiful signature look: an ivory Gara sari embroidered with birds, blossoms, and vines, passed down through families as heirlooms. The embroidery came to India through trade with China, but over time it became its own quiet language of Parsi identity and celebration.
Designer Ashdeen Lilaowala knows that history well, but his latest collection, Once Upon a Dream, loosens its grip a little. The silhouettes are softer, the palette lighter: georgettes, pastels, and gauzy layers that carry sequins and beads. You could wear one piece to a cocktail night and still feel the pull of something ancestral, but without the weight of formality.
There’s a subtle rebellion here. Brides may still want heritage, but they don’t want it to feel like a museum piece. Ashdeen’s pieces make space for both. A nod to lineage without the weight of cliché.
There’s a quiet shift here. Instead of tradition as obligation, it becomes atmosphere. Something you can slip into with ease. Ashdeen doesn’t strip Gara of its detail; he simply lets it breathe, so it feels less like ritual and more like personal choice.
It’s a collection for brides who want heritage in the room, but not on their shoulders.
All image courtesy: Ashdeen Lilaowala