Birmingham Asiana Bridal Show 2010 - Harkirans

Harkirans closed the fashion show at the 2010 Birmingham Asiana Bridal Show, they also dressed the host of the show none other than Asiana Magazine editor Anisha Vasani. As far as I can remember, her outfit was the only sari to grace the catwalk that day, which doesn't really say very much for showing a variety of different outfits!

I'm not a fan of that particular shade of blue, but I think it suits her and I do like the bead/pearl work

Now onto the real show outfits:

I'm a big fan of the cream/green colour combination but not liking the embroidery at the bottom of the skirt so much. The red and grey colour scheme is quite unique, not something you see every day.


I like the embroidery on this blue outfit. I can't quite figure out if the top is sleeveless and worn with a matching bolero jacket but I think it looks good either way.

I'm not liking the big flowery design on the outfit below though, and what's with the second layer at the top of the skirt...maybe my photos just didn't catch what it should have looked like?!




Unfortunately I didn't get any good photos of the show finale which included some western-style dresses, Harkirans have however uploaded some photos to their facebook fanpage which you see by clicking here.

So that was all from the Birmingham Asiana Bridal Show 2010. The London Asiana show is taking place this weekend and promises to be bigger and better, I won't be attending but if I come across any photos from the catwalk show I'll definitely post them for all to see!

Sache at the Birmingham Asiana Bridal Show 2010

Sache, who are based in the Midlands also showcased a collection at the Birmingham Asiana Bridal show which took place a few weeks ago. They started the show with 4 partywear looks before moving on to bridal lehngas with matching menswear.





I really liked these four churidar pajama outfits, especially the first one. I think they all look really flattering, from the colour combinations, to the fabric choices and the embroidery. Also liking the styling with the big circular hair pieces which featured all throughout this part of the show!

Now onto the bridals! Again I loved the colour choices, they didn't go for your typical bridal colour combinations (red and gold). I loved this shade of cerise/pink with a hint of purple:


I also really liked the injection of green into this red outfit:


How gorgeous is this shade of blue/green?

I really loved the whole collection by Sache, the styles of the outfits aren't exactly revolutionary but I think the colours they chose definitely made these outfits stand out from all the usual lehnga and pajama suits you see everywhere. Has anyone shopped at Sache before? They don't seem to have much of a web/online presence and I'm interested to know what their prices are like!

Asian Fashion Blog competition - win tickets to the Shaadi Chic asian bridal fashion show in London

Now this is a first - a reader competition on Asian Fashion Blog!
Shaadi Chic is an exclusive fashion show taking place at the East Winter Garden (Canary Wharf) in London on Saturday 20th February.

The catwalk show itself has been styled by make-up artist Lubna Rafiq and features a variety of UK-based asian bridalwear designers including RCKC, Amara, SF Collection, Arinder Bhullar and Kyles Collection, as well as a "mehndi catwalk" by the Guiness World Record holder for fastest henna artist - Pavan. The event also includes a 3 course dinner and live entertainment. Fashion, food and a good reason to get dressed up - what more could you ask for!

Tickets for this event usually cost £25/£35/£45 but the organisers of this event, Your Dream Shaadi, are offering two lucky Asian Fashion Blog readers a pair of FREE tickets to attend this magical event! For a chance to win, all you have to do is submit your entry online by visiting www.yourdreamshaadi.co.uk/AFB.htm
The competition closes on the 6th February so get your entry in asap!

For further information on the event, including directions, ticket sales and fashion show lineup visit Your Dream Shaadi

Khushboo's By Chand part 2 at the Birmingham Asiana Bridal Show 2010

Khushboo's by Chand went for a very different theme for their second catwalk slot at the Asiana Bridal Show in Birmingham. Their first show was full of colourful bridal outfits (click here to see the pics if you missed it) and they contrasted this with a range of white and gold outfits which I think were more registry-style.


None of these really stood out to me as being something amazing, and what is going on with the white and gold skirt?? Maybe it's just me but the embroidery looks like it went wrong!!
One thing I did like about the white outfit was the back, which you can see in the pic below - I like the beads/peals going across the back with the halterneck top.



The only other stand-out peice for me out of this collection were the white dresses, which they have in the scene above and below. I'm a bit undecided on these because I like the fact that they are something different and think the draping in the skirts look fab, however the tops for me are a real let-down. I think they might have looked a bit better if they were sleeveless, but perhaps the idea of these was to create an outfit for people who want to cover up/not show off too much skin...but if that was the case, people who cover up for religious reasons probably wouldn't wear something so skin-tight anyway!
What do you think of these dresses?

Ziggi Studio at the Asiana Bridal Show 2010 in Birmingham

Ziggi Studio were the main menswear designer showcasing their collection at the Asiana Bridal show last weekend in Birmingham. Now most asian wedding exhibitions throw in a bit of menswear into their catwalk shows as a token gesture (and it largely goes unnoticed compared to all the bridal outfits!) but this collection really stood out and made a statement!

I got the chance to speak to Ziggi himself to find out more about this collection and where the inspiration came from for these regal outfits. After creating two modern contemporary sherwani collections which could be worn with jeans (Jaz Dhami wore a Ziggi Studio sherwani in his "Theke Wali" music video), they decided to take a different direction and design a collection of more traditional sherwanis for all the lucky grooms to be out there!



These two outfits were the real stand-out pieces, both modelled by the 2010 face of Ziggi Studio, who will be appearing in all their ad campaigns.
I really like the subtle detailing, such as the belt on the red outfit, and how if you look a little closer (click on each image to zoom) there's more than one shade of red on the fabric. The pearls and necklaces may be a bit too much for some grooms, but equally there are plenty of guys out there who like their bling!



For grooms that aren't too adventorous with colours there was also an array of gold outfits, with intricate embroidery that looks good from far away and even better up close, all with their own little unique touches like the belts, collar details or pearl buttons on the sleeves.

Ziggi came up with his ideas for this collection during a trip to India in 2005. A fashion student at the time, he was inspired by ladieswear designer Kiran Khan and became very interested in the looks and style of the Mughal era. Of course this was a long time before films like Jodhaa Akbar came out and made that style fashionable again. So when the time came for him to launch his first collection, he put those ideas on hold (until now) and went for something modern instead, so that his work didn't get lost in all the movie imitations.


This outfit I found quite interesting. Some might say it was boring in comparison to all the full on embroidery and shininess, but I like a designer who shows they can cater to different people's needs. I'd say this outfit would suit a more easy going type of groom who wants to look good but doesn't want to be weighed down too much.

This outfit was my favourite, I'm just amazed by the effect the silver design on the gold fabric.


Ziggi Studio opened their first retail store this week in Birmingham (you can find them on the first floor, 223 Ladypool Road), previously their collections were only available to private clients. Prices started from £400 for the sherwanis and £80 for kurta tops. Before launching his range of menswear Ziggi worked as a stylist and photographer for Asiana Magazine so as well as getting a sherwani the chances are you can also get some tips on how to style the groom-to-be for the big day...and if you ask really nicely, maybe even some tips for styling the-bride-to be too! but before you ask - Ziggi Studio don't do ladieswear!!

What did you think of the outfits?

Khushboo's By Chand at the Birmingham Asiana Bridal Show 2010

Opening the catwalk show at the Birmingham Asiana Bride Show 2010 was Khushboo's by Chand. Now whenever I mention this company, there always follows a stream of less than complementary comments and a few over the top with praise reviews too. I've personally never visited their store let alone bought anything so I can't say either way if they're good or bad. What I can say is that you shouldn't base your purchase decision solely on something you've read online (whether it be a positive or negative review!), the best way to find out anything is to go and check them out in person for yourself!

Now onto the clothes! They had two sections to their show, the first was full of colour and every single outfit was glittering and shining in the light! (Apologies for my amateur photography - click on each image for an enlarged view)



From your more traditional style tops above to teeny tiny bikini-style tops like the one below, there was a variety to suit most shades of modesty. I know I wouldn't wear the top below, but I do really like the skirt.



There was also a lot of velvet from most of the designers, like the two outfits above. I haven't worn velvet in a very long time but having seen and touched some of the outfits up close, all I can say is velvet + embroidery = really heavy!



They finished off their first part of the show with a traditional red outfit. I really like the shape of the skirt and the embroidery - a simple design at the top and then more heavy work at the bottom. I think the shape of the back looks really pretty too with the little cut-out, it's perfect for accessorising with a mehndi design or stick-on gems.

The Birmingham Asiana Bridal Show 2010

Ziggi Studio invited me to attend the Birmingham Asiana Wedding Show yesterday at the Hilton Metropole Hotel! I was quite excited and really looking forward to some fashion trend spotting, especially as I’d found my own wedding outfit here at this show in 2008.

However, I have to say I was disappointed this time around. The exhibition itself was a lot smaller than I expected and most of the big fashion houses who advertise in Asiana Magazine/Asiana Wedding Magazine weren’t even there! I liked the fashion show itself, but the catwalk slots were running late and don’t even get me started on the queuing situation – I went from being the 4th person in the queue (and in line to get a good seat for the show and take lots of photos to share with you) to being something like 30th in the queue and that’s not even including the load of other random people in a separate queue that got let in first :(

It seems to me like the Birmingham Asiana show is the poor relative of the London Asiana show which is taking place in a few weeks. Perhaps it’s a sign of the times that exhibitors can’t afford to be at both shows so they all go for the London show?
Ok enough ranting, these were my highlights to the event:

Ziggi Studio


I really liked the regal theme of the sherwanis in the “Rajwada” collection which Ziggi Studio showcased on the catwalk, and I’m not just saying this because they got me complementary tickets for the show! Having spoken to Ziggi himself I know all the hard work that he’s put into the collection, and he’s a really nice guy too. I’ll be posting a full review of his collection, but as a preview, the outfit above was one of my favourites.

Mona Vora


Although they didn't exhibit on the catwalk show, in a room full of reds and golds, this dress on the Mona Vora exhibition stand really stood out to me. I’m not sure if you can see it in the photo but I’m loving the silver and pink colour theme.



I’ll be posting all my photos from the catwalk show including collections from Khushboos by Chand, Harkirans, Kyles Collection, Posh Boutique, Sache and of course Ziggi Studio.

If you attended the exhibition or catwalk show I’d love to know what you thought, if you’re a bride did you find what you were looking for? Do you think attending this event was money well spent?

Asian Fashion Fusion - Maria B collection

Pakistani designer Maria B was another of the top names which took part on the Asian Fashion Fusion event on the 5th December in London. Many thanks to Shahid Malik Studio for the photos.

There was a very distinct colour theme to the first few outfits, and the strong combination of red, black and white made a big statement!



This dress above really stood out to me, it's very elegant, although not sure how it would look on our non-model bodies!!
I really liked the two jacket outfits below too, with their damask-style patterns and I think the addition of gold into the colour scheme really works well. If I attended lots of fabulous parties I'd snap these up in a second...but alas I don't have any events glamourous enough for outfits like these!



The show concluded with some of Maria B's most popular bridal outfits, at least I think they must be popular because I've seen these dresses more than a few times before on the catwalk and even after all this time they still make me think "wow"!



I really love these last two outfits, the first outfit has all the hallmarks of your traditional red-with-gold-embroidery wedding lehnga, until you reach the bottom of the skirt and that bridal red seamlessly blends into orange and then there's the addition of the pink underskirt too...it's just beautiful!
As for the blue outfit, well it may look pretty standard in the photo, but I actually got the chance to try this outfit on some 2 years ago! I was blown away by all the little detailing, like the hints of pink in the embroidery, the sheer parts of the top and the "bobbles" on the dupatta. If I had had a designer budget for my wedding outfit, the chances are I would have had a customised version made of one of these!

O'nitaa at Asian Fashion Fusion

Another name on the catwalk at the Asian Fashion Fusion event which took place the Jumeirah Carton Tower Hotel in London at the end of last year. O'nitaa are a london-based retailer who sell a range of different asian designers and they sent a diverse collection down the catwalk. Photos are courtesy of Shahid Malik Studio.



I like the 3 pajama suits above, especially the off-the-shoulder pink outfit above.

Not such a fan of the dresses below though, not elegant enough for my liking?

These next two outfits are really interesting they have a tribal/boho look to them:


I like that these next two dresses come with matching jackets. They're perfect for the cold and often temperamental weather in the UK, and we all know how difficult it can be to find the perfect coat to go with your asian outfits.


Finally, there were these two patterned saris: