Ishy's Boutique at the Bradford Asian Bridal and Lifestyle Show 2011

I hadn't really heard of Ishy's Boutique before seeing them on the catwalk at the Bradford Asian Bridal and Lifestyle exhibition, but having already seen collections by all the other designers at this show I was keen to see what this Birmingham based store had to offer.

Sadly, my first impressions weren't very good. These first 3 outfits weren't very inspiring at all, and the middle red lehnga was very badly fitted (which I know isn't the fault of the designer, but if you're selecting outfits for a fashion show presumably you'd check with the organiser about what sizes to send!)

I didn't really like any of the other outfits either - usually I'd say purple and gold makes for a nice colour combination, but in my opinion this lehnga below is overkill on the gold!

If I had to choose one outfit as a "favourite" and (I use the term favourite very loosely here) it would be this light pink gown, however again it's really badly fitted - there's no shape to it and it almost looks like it's falling off from one side showing off the model's bra.

A big thanks to Rafyl from Rafyl Photography for these photos.

Would love to know your thoughts on this shop because the impression made on me from the fashion show wasn't very good! Are they better than this?

Kyles Collection at the Bradford Asian Bridal and Lifestyle Show 2011

Here's the catwalk show from Kyles Collection at the Bradford Asian Bridal and Lifestyle Show which took place on the 16th January 2011. A big thanks to Rafyl Photography, Shot by Shahed and Aliway Photography for use of these photos.

I think it's always a bit difficult to showcase a jewellery collection on a catwalk, but I think Kyles have got it right by putting the models in plain gowns to show off the sparkle of their pieces.

They had both traditional bridal pieces in gold and red as above, and more contemporary registry/engagement style pieces:

The showstopping pieces were the hijab look and this crown-style piece which trails all the way down the back. According to the Kyles Collection website this "Parisian couture set" was created especially for the catwalk and it costs £740! I'd take a guess that this is probably the most expensive item in their range.

Bombay Stores catwalk at Asian Bridal and Lifestyle Exhibition Bradford 2011

As promised, here's a more detailed look from the fashion show at the Asian Bridal and Lifestyle Exhibition which took place last weekend at the Hilton in Bradford. A big thanks to Rafyl from Rafyl Photography for allowing me to share these pics with you.

I thought I'd start with Bradford's very own Bombay Stores, who had both bridalwear and casual/party suits to show off, starting with this trio of traditional reds:

I like the middle outfit and the one on the right, but I don't like the top on the left outfit - I feel like it overemphasizes the chest a bit too much for my liking.

I loved the addition of purple into this bridal outfit, it still have that very red bridal feel to it even though the top is purple.

Next up were some full-on purple outfits:

I'm fascinated by the vertical lines style of embroidery on this outfit, and as I recall this embroidery style was also on the back too - I think it looked better as a train compared to how it looks on the front of the lehnga.
After reds and purples come...greens! I loved the shade of these two outfits, they looked so much more vibrant in person and I'd definitely wear something like this first one:

The final bridal look was this interesting multi-layered outfit, definitely different to your normal lehnga - what do you think?

Now onto the casuals, purples were the main colour for this part of the fashion show:

Which were your favourites from Bombay Stores?

Bradford Asian Bridal and Lifestyle Exhibition 2011

Last weekend I attended the Asian Bridal and Lifestyle Exhibition at the Hilton Hotel in Bradford. As someone who isn't planning a wedding at the moment my main reason for going was of course the fashion show, but I also took a look around at the exhibition stands to see what was on offer for the brides and grooms-to-be of 2011.

I felt this event was a lot smaller than some of the magazine-sponsored shows...but then again the entry price of £5 was also a lot cheaper than Asiana Magazine's bridal show and Asian Woman Magazine's show.

This event had collections by Bombay Stores, Ishy's Boutique, Khushboos by Chand, Harkirans, Kyles Collection and asian fashion blog favourite Ziggi Studio.

I'll be posting more detailed photos of the indivual outfits from the fashion show later on this week, but in the meantime here's a sneak preview. Photos have very kindly been provided by Aliway Photography, to view more photos from this event visit the Aliway Facebook page.

Bombay Stores

They had two slots on the catwalk and showcased both bridalwear and more casual/partywear outfits. I liked most of what I saw from their collection, but considering how big their store is you can imagine that they'd have something to suit everyone's tastes.

Ishy's Boutique

I'm afraid everything I saw from Ishy's Boutique got a big thumbs down from me! Sure the outfits look ok in these photos but having seen their collection up close and in person, there wasn't one single outfit that made me think "I want that" or "I'd wear that".

Kyles Collection

I love love love Kyles Collection, I wish I had an excuse to go out and buy more of their jewellery. The interesting thing about their catwalk show was the styling and the choice to showcase how you could wear their jewellery with a hijab...although to envision how a real hijabi bride would look you'll have to pretent the model isn't wearing a strapless gown and exposing her arms and shoulders!

Ziggi Studio

You know I don't have a bad word to say about Ziggi Studio and yes we've seen these outfits before on the catwalk but up close I'm still amazed by all the intricate details that go into each sherwani. I can't wait to see the new collection which will be debuted at the Asiana Bridal show on the 30th January.

Did you attend this show? and did you find it useful? Leave a comment and share your views!

The Asian Wedding Designers Season 3

The Asian Wedding Designers is a TV show profiling some of the UK's asian fashion designers and boutiques. It was originally shown on the Sky Channel Wedding TV Asia and season 2 featured HSY, Kiran Khan, RCS, Khoobsurat Collection and Charmi Creations. For some reason (probably budgeting issues) wedding tv asia is no longer broadcasting, but you can view their most recent season of The Asian Wedding Designers using the links below.

1. Raishma Couture
2. Jusst Pink
3. Arinder Bhullar
4. Ekta Solanki

If you missed season two, here are links to those episodes.

Fill your weekends up with Asian Bridal Shows!

The invitations have already started flooding in for this year's Asian Wedding/Asian Bridal exhibitions.

I've already blogged about Asiana Magazine's 2011 Bridal show which I highly recommend and am currently running a competition for you to win tickets to - click here for the competition (you have just two days left to enter though! Competition closes at midnight on Friday 14th January!). However that's not the only wedding exhibition taking place and here's my guide to some of the others happening over the next few months:

Asian Bridal & Lifestyle Exhibition
Date: Sunday 16th January 2011
Location: Bradford Hilton Hotel
Price: £5 per adult payable on entry
Any good?: Organised by Platinum Events, they tend to put on a good fashion show with a variety of designers and styles, for an idea of what to expect check out the photos I posted from their Birmingham Bridal show held in November 2010.
Website Link: click here

Date: Sunday 13th February 2011
Location: Reading - Shehnai Banqueting Suite
Price: £5 per adult payable on entry
Any Good?: same comments as above
Website Link: click here


The Asian Bride Show 2011
Date: Saturday and Sunday the 22nd and 23rd January 2011
Location: London - Wembley Stadium
Price: Adults £10, Children (aged 5-12) £5
Any Good?: Asian Woman Magazine's sister publication Asian Bride is hosting this event so expect to see many of the designers and wedding suppliers who feature in the magazine. For an idea of the fashion show, check our the photos I posted from the 2010 Asian Bride Show.
Website Link: click here


Asian Wedding Lifestyle & Fashion Exhibition
Date: Saturday and Sunday, 26th and 27th February 2011
Location: Manchester Central (formerly GMEX)
Price: *unconfirmed* poster says tickets are free if you pick them up from a local fashion outlet and entry is £5 on the door
Any Good?: I've attended this show for the past 2 years and I'd go as far as saying it's the best the north-west of England has to offer. View my photos from the 2010 show here, and the 2009 show here.
Facebook Event Link: click here

Date: Sunday 20th March 2011
Location: Bradford - Rio Grande
Price: *unconfirmed* poster says tickets are free if you pick them up from a local fashion outlet and entry is £5 on the door
Any Good?: This is organised by the same people who are putting on the Manchester show - this is their first event in Bradford so we'll have to see if they can make it as good as the original!
Facebook Event Link: click here

Asian Celebrations Asian Wedding Exhibitions
Date: Sunday 6th February 2011
Location: Leicester City Football Club
Price: Free entry
Any Good?: From what I've seen of their Birmingham event which took place last weekend the fashion show looked good, but I haven't attended any of Asian Celebrations' events personally.
Website Link: click here

Other shows
Date: Sunday 16th February 2011
Location: Leicester Platinum Suite
Price: Free entry
Any Good?: I haven't been to any events organised by this company, but the "free" wedding shows don't tend to be as good as the paid for entry ones. Having said that, if you're local they can be well worth a visit!
Facebook Event link: click here

Date: Sunday 27th February 2011
Location: Nottingham - Goosedale Conference & Banqueting
Price: Free entry
Any Good?: this is show is organised by the same people as above so same comments apply!
Facebook Event link: click here

Date: Sunday 23rd January 2011
Location: Sunderland - Quayside Exchange
Price: Free entry
Any Good?: not sure who's organising this show, if anyone has further info please share :)
Website Link: click here (via asianweddingonline.com)


These are just a few of the asian wedding events I've found that are taking place over the next few months, no doubt there will be many more! If you're thinking of attending any shows and don't know what to expect, be sure to read my guide to making the most of wedding exhibitions, which you can view on the Asian Wedding Ideas site here.