Last weekend, Sachas hotel in Manchester city centre hosted the 2010 Britannia Asian Wedding Fayre. Amongst the exhibitors were north-west based Saha Couture, they're a company who've come to my attention recently because of their use of facebook as an advertising and networking platform.
After their slot on the catwalk, they bravely ventured into the city centre for an impromptu photoshoot! When I came across this set of photos in one of their facebook albums I thought it was a nice way to bring their clothes to a wider audience, here are the results:
Did anybody see this photoshoot taking place? What did you think? For more information about Saha Couture or to make an appointment to view their collection, visit their facebook group.
A few months ago I received an invitation to attend the launch party for Ziggi Studio and a chance to see their brand new showroom. After the spectacular display of Mughal-inspired wedding sherwanis that they showcased on the catwalk at the London and Birmingham Asiana Wedding events (click here to see photos if you missed them) I was interested to see what the clothes looked like up close and to see what else Ziggi Studio had to offer!
Located on the corner of Ladypool Road and Brunswick Road in Birmingham, Ziggi Studio occupy the first floor of what was formerly "Laaj" and is now "Desi Girl". You enter via a staircase on Brunswick Road and walk into the light bright showroom.
Although the showroom was quite crowded when we first entered (it was their launch party after all!), you could see that the room had a spacious feel to it, with the clothes nicely spread out around the room and easy to browse through.
After getting a drink and having a chat with Ziggi himself, I decided to mingle through the guests and get to the clothes! They really did have something to suit everybody, from tailor-made suits, casual outfits and indo-western-wear right through to the regal bejeweled sherwanis seen in their fashion shows.
I was impressed with the quality of the outfits too, the fabric choices and finishes on the outfits were without fault and really did look just as good up close as they do in the magazines.
Other guests at the party included Asiana Magazine editor Anisha Vasani and singer Jaz Dhami (pictured here with Ziggi and studio manager Taff Rafiq)
After a thorough browse of the store (and making plans to bring my other half back to get him something from the collection!) I wasn't sure what would happen next, and I'm pleased to say the night didn't end there.
The store was shut for the night and all the guests moved across the road to Desi Express where the party continued with DJs, dhol players, delicious food and dancing!
This is me with Ziggi and Taff:
Many thanks to the official photographer on the night, Rafyl Choudhury, for use of these photos, and a big thanks to all the team at Ziggi Studio for putting on such a great party!
Finally, here's some video footage from the party:
Readers of Asiana and Asiana Wedding may have spotted adverts in the magazine for an event called "The Elite Bride Show". With tickets costing £300 per couple, it's safe to say this was more than your usual wedding show! The official website for this event was full of blurb about luxury and exclusivity:
"The elite bride is happy to spend a significant sum to ensure she has the best of everything. From her all-important wedding dress, jewellery and make-up, to her choice of venue, catering and photography"
"The marketing of this event will be through direct communication with families on our High Net Worth database..."
As someone who planned my wedding on a budget, I was actually a little disgusted with the whole elite concept of it all, it seemed to me like Asiana and their wedding partners/suppliers were getting greedy and overtly chasing the money. As an Asiana reader I felt a little annoyed that this "exclusive" event was thrown in my face in the magazine and on their website, and I wonder what percentage of Asiana's readership fall into the "high net worth" category???
But then I tried to look at it from another point of view and realised that there must have been a demand for this event, after all, these rich individuals still have weddings to plan and if they've got the money to spend then Asiana and their suppliers might as well help them spend it!
I'd love to know other people's thoughts on this event and the concept - leave a comment below!
All the elitism aside, the fashion show at this event looked spectacular! Featuring designers such as Raishma, Kyles, Vanshik, O'nitaa (by Anjana Bhargav and Nickie-Nina), Amrapali and RCKC (by Neeta Lulla), it took place on a grand staircase at London's Natural History Museum.
Here are some video highlights of the event:
I'm on the lookout for some more photos from the fashion show and will definitely share any I find!!
I really liked the styling at this show and it was so different to what we've seen before from Ziggi Studio, and indeed any other menswear/sherwani collection on an asian bridal catwalk.
I think it gives a whole new dimension to the typical "look" of an asian groom, of course this look wouldn't suit everyone, but it shows to me that Ziggi Studio really do have something to suit any groom's personal style.
I had a chance to visit the Ziggi Studio showroom in Birmingham and will be posting a review soon!
