Bridal Asia extends its reach to Pakistan

Ritu Kumar, J J Valaya & Anamika Khanna’s present their collections in Karachi

New Delhi, Thursday, June 26, 2003: Bridal Asia the flagship event of Services International today announced that they would, for the first time, be going to Pakistan, with the exquisite bridal collection from the “Fashion Gurus” - Ritu Kumar, J J Valaya and fashion designer Anamika Khanna. The Jung Group, renowned publication house, has invited Bridal Asia to be a part of the celebration to mark the 25th anniversary of their fashion publication ‘Mag The Weekly’ on June 28, 2003. Bridal Asia is well known in Pakistan as the designers from Pakistan have been coming here since inception.

Expressing her views on the latest feather in Bridal Asia’s cap, the prime mover behind the show- Ms. Divya Gurwara, CEO, Bridal Asia said, "It is a pleasure for Bridal Asia to be invited to participate in the 25th anniversary celebrations of Mag the Weekly. Coincidentally it is a landmark achievement for both of us. With this, Bridal Asia takes yet another step towards homogenizing the boundaries of the sub-continent and instituting its dream of writing a pan-universal bridal script with a true and sincere cultural signature detailed only by fashion."

Bridal Asia like always will be the first to take Indian designers to Pakistan. The announcement was followed by a special preview that featured the creations of the three designers. In taking these greatly stylized and exquisitely embellished collections to Pakistan, Bridal Asia establishes a historic zenith in its eternal dream of visualizing the ‘united colors of the bride'. The preview highlighted Bridal Asia as the pioneer in the domain of bridal wear, a position that it has come to be synonymous with.

Expressing her views on the occasion designer Ritu Kumar said, “The sub-continent is rich in its legacy of textile design. The influences down the ages on textiles, clothing and crafts have much in common and speak similar languages. The region of Swat, Sindh and the Indus has always had a great fascination for me as a textile designer. The crafts of the nomadic people are truly a study in anthropology of this vast continent”

Bridal Asia going to Pakistan is also a step in effacing the mental and geographical barriers and is bound to go down in the annals of history as a sincere effort to erase the differences with creativity. Bridal Asia seeks to establish a communication of aesthetics that is far removed from any political connotations.

J. J. Valaya, designer, said, “India and Pakistan are bound by a similarity of issues, histories and people. It seems crucial today to find as many ways as possible to create healthy communication and people-to-people networks within the region. Art and fashion have long been recognized for their aversion to borders of any kind. I choose to respect and uphold this belief.”

The collections of the designers reinforced that fashion's myriad moods and varied signatures span a whole gamut of design sensibilities. When it comes to bridal creations, it finds an expression more eloquent than any other. No longer the realm of an ordinary seamster, the sartorial style of a bride is deftly defined in a combination of cross-cultural delicate nuances conceived by talented visionaries, whose expertise helps in the transition of the mundane into the ethereal.

Expressing her views at the preview Anamika Khanna said, “ It is for the first time that I have been associated with Bridal Asia and it is like a dream come true to showcase my collection in Karachi. I am overwhelmed with the fact that my collection will be showcased with fashion gurus like Ritu Kumar & J J Valaya, which will be a great learning experience for me.”