This is what made her deliberate on how she could create a niche product that was difficult to copy and carries her signature. This introspection coincided with a small batch of sarees she created for a trunk show in May 2023. “We replaced the sequins and embroidery with appliqué, weaving a scene of wild deers, birds and trees. They sold out almost instantly, with requests for more.”

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Research led to the revelation that for the Indian bride, the choices available were the Kanjeevaram, the Banarasi brocade or yet another iteration of the red lehenga. 

AnaviLa Misra 

Remembering her own experience with bridal wear when she got married in 2004, she says: “We are so conditioned to follow the right codes, including wearing red, that we forget to question why. I had said no to red and chose a shade of carrot [for my lehenga],” she laughs ironically. “After you hit 40, you reevaluate your choices and do things with profound awareness. For example, I couldn’t walk [in the lehenga] because it was so heavy. Isn’t it funny that everyone else enjoys your special day while you are a sitting duck?”

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Two of Misra’s trademarks—inventiveness with linen and affinity for pastel hues— continue to feature in this new collection of sarees, kaftans, lehengas (a first for the designer) and salwar-kameez sets. There is also an addition of handwoven zari and satin.

Misra says that women artisans in the villages of Dumka in Jharkhand, and Mahuana in Punjab, worked on the appliqué that depicts lush vegetation and peacocks found in the frescoes of Bundi, Rajasthan, where Rudyard Kipling penned chapters of the classic, Kim. “We’ve worked on this collection for the last three months, and the anticipation I feel to see market reaction is akin to the excitement [a bride feels] on the big day!”