Art Thou Wed

Traditional wedding dresses are varied. In some cultures, women wear heavy jewelry and weighted garments. In others, they prefer to wear lighter clothes. Mass media dominantly showcases the traditional Western wedding gown. Growing up, seeing the white delicate dresses in movies and TV shows, I grew to imagine how indigenous designs could be synthesized with Western fashion. The style of the blouse and two-piece dress emulate the traditional ‘lehengas’ worn in Indian culture, whereas the florals, white base, and lycra bring out the Western traditions. My initial idea was to create my own wedding dress. I wanted to understand the processes involved in creating a garment from scratch; hence, choosing a dress that allows room for complexity, simplicity, and ideation at the same time. Through the imperfections and unevenness of the flowers, cultural reminisce, and nature-inspired aspects, I was able to narrativize my idea, making it my own.