Why not wear jamdani and silver jewellery in your wedding?

Decked in glimmering jewellery and a banarasi shari - there is no other way we can imagine a Bangladeshi bride. 

Till the early 1980s, bridal make-up was minimal – no more than kajal and lipstick and the occasional face powder. 

But as times changed, so did the traditional bridal look. 

These days, we see brides preferring heavily embroidered lehengas, elaborate ear and neck pieces, and a different style of make-up involving airbrushing, eyelash extensions etc.   

The changes are not necessarily bad, but bridal looks can also be amped up with traditional materials like jamdani, vintage designed silver jewelleries, and softer shades of make-up.  

If one wants, the colour of the shari can also be played with, and along with the traditional red, matte gold, off-white, mauve, or even blue shari can be worn.    

This year in August, four young creative minds, each renowned in their own field, came together and created 'The August Collaboration' photo-shoot where traditional bridal looks were reinvented using jamdani, silver and pearl jewellery and minimal make-up enhancing the bride's natural beauty. 

Photographer Tanvir Ali shared with The Business Standard how, while planning for his wedding, he ended up meeting 6 yards story's owner Zerin Tasnim Khan, Karutantra's owner Nusrat Marzia and make-up artist Safa Shareef.

"We had a pandemic wedding and my wife wanted a simple but vintage bridal look. That is how we stumbled upon 6 yards story's jewelleries and Karutantra's jamdani," he said.   

Tanvir shared the idea of creating a bridal photo shoot with traditional shari and jewellery with Zerin Tasnim and the others, and soon everyone was on board with it.  

The jewellery support was provided by 6 yards story, the brand famous for crafting nostalgic pieces that are also perfect for modern women.

"Everyone worked brilliantly and it did not feel even for a moment that we were working," said Zerin Tasnim, adding, "I am so glad our collaboration turned out exactly how we envisioned it."    

Karutantra, a brand specialising in jamdani, wanted to showcase the versatility of this fabric, that is usually not a part of bridal wear. Its owner and founder Nusrat Marzia said, "We wanted to show that brides can wear jamdani and look absolutely stunning. Jamdani can be appropriate for a wedding."

Safa, who runs her own page 'Shareef Artistry by Safa Shareef', said that working on the collaboration was one of her happiest experiences. "The make-up look was soft and matte. You know how in the 1980s, or even in the 1990s, bridal looks were simple and not at all flashy? We tried to recreate that."  

These looks are equally suitable for bridesmaids and family members. With the wedding season coming up, perhaps it is time to get inspired by the collaboration and recreate these classic looks. 

"After The August Collaboration's success we decided to hold one such shoot every year in August. That is our future plan," Tanvir informed us.