The making of the Haute Indian Wedding presented by 85 Lansdowne

As 85 Lansdowne gears up to celebrate The Haute Indian Wedding presented by 85 Lansdowne and curated by the fashion store along with Shantanu Goenka, we sit with Shalini Nopany, director, 85 Lansdowne and Pooja Goenka, wholetime director, 85 Lansdowne, to chat about the curation, their memorable journey of 16 years and their dreams of reaching more and more people and staying “on top of the game” in the years to come.

What can we expect at The Haute Indian Wedding?

Shalini: It is going to be an immersive experience and it’s not just about shopping. It’s like an installation. When you walk in, you’d be walking through rooms and each room will have something exciting and new to offer.

Pooja: And, it’ll be based on the themes of the wedding.

Shalini: Shantanu has collaborated with the top names in Kolkata, the idea being that we bring together this whole experience for a bride because we noticed that after the pandemic, young people neither have the time nor the inclination to go from shop to shop. Our idea is to bring everything together under one roof. Shantanu is making a collection especially for this and debuting it in 85. The jewellery is also curated for the show. Shantanu has also designed the silver to be showcased. The decor, music and food is also customised.

Pooja: It is also difficult to connect with each person on a one-to-one basis. So, when you come here, you get to meet all the people who you really would want to.

Shalini: It is a unique show because although there are other wedding shows in the city, those are on a much larger platform. This is a personalised experience. As a bride you want to feel special. The whole idea here is to make the bride and her family feel special. This is a curated experience for them.

What was your brief for Shantanu?

Pooja: What we said was we want an experience for the clients. It has to be accessible.

Shalini: The younger brides are into sustainable fashion and would love to rewear it. So, there is a lot of heritage in the garments.

What are the things you kept in mind while putting this together in the present times?

Shalini: I think post-pandemic, through social media, people are much more aware.... They don’t want to spend that kind of money. They still spend, but they’d like to see where it’s going.

Pooja: Previously, it was putting things together. Now it is experience based. They want more value. It has to create the whole story. Utility matters.

Shalini: During the pandemic, when we had opened, people were still not stepping out. So, we started doing a lot of personal shopping. That’s the change that has happened after the pandemic. People want a lot of personalisation and it is the space where 85 is moving. Fashion is one of the most dynamic fields. At 85, we are totally on top of that. We are moving with the times. We have new names. It is easy to keep selling established names, but the idea is to encourage new talent.

Pooja: Clients have told us it’s a fresh change. We have stood out for that.

Do you plan to keep on with personal shopping?

Shalini and Pooja: Hundred per cent.

Shalini: We will be taking it to the next level where it won’t only be about fashion, but lifestyle. We are in the process of bringing out many more products and concepts this year.

What has kept the brand alive?

Shalini: We have been able to create a destination for not just Kolkata, but eastern India.

Pooja: I would say it’s all over.

Shalini: It’s not only an achievement, but also a challenge because to stay on top of the game, you have to keep on innovating. When we came out of the pandemic, we saw there was a massive problem of procuring fashion garments. The designers had gone through a crisis and those in the middle segment were hesitant to make stock. They didn’t know where the market was going. Now, slowly it’s coming back.

We launched our online website for sales. This was done in the last two years. So, very new and we have received a phenomenal response. That’s another area of focus.

How has fashion changed in the last decade?

Shalini: I think it has become much more experimental.

Pooja: Clients have become bold and experimental.

Shalini: They have the confidence to try newer designers. So much young talent has mushroomed in the pandemic.

What have been the milestone moments in your journey with 85 Lansdowne?

Shalini: When we started 85 Lansdowne we had this dream that we would take an old bungalow and revive it and I am so happy to see so many others in the city have done it.

A series of the Sabyasachi sari events right at the beginning... we used to see a beeline queue outside the store even before we opened our gates on those mornings. A landmark event was the Shanghai Tang showing at 85 Lansdowne, which literally brought their outstanding collection first to our store, even beating their London store showing at that point of time and at very competitive pricing.

Another memorable event was the store re-launch post complete renovations in 2014 where we had a panel discussion with Suneet Varma and Sabyasachi in conversation with Bandana Tewari.

And, of course, Shantanu’s Fairy Tale Wedding show transformed the store into a real fairy tale venue with every room featuring an installation from fabled fairy tales.

Which designers have you brought to the city first in the last 16 years?

Shalini: There’s a list of many firsts. We at 85 Lansdowne have celebrated many talents from various parts of the country, even before they were established in their fields. Our journey has introduced us to many designer names, brands and labels which we are glad to have brought to Kolkata for the first time. The list goes on with names like Payal Khandwala, Shivan & Narresh, Gaurav Gupta, Anuradha Vakil, Raw Mango, Ashish N Soni, Nidhi Tholia, Namrata Joshipura, Ashdeen, Peachoo, Cue, Puja Nayyar, Varun & Nidhika. We launched stalwarts like Anamika Khanna (menswear), Manish Malhotra, Tarun Tahiliani, Suneet Varma, Rajesh Pratap Singh in the Kolkata market. We introduced international brands like Valentino, Bottega and Shanghai Tang to the city for the first time.

What is the secret of the partnership between the two of you?

Shalini: Friendship.

So, no fights?

Pooja: Never! I think she is balanced and we are a good fit. We think in sync.

Shalini: Not yet. We met because our husbands are friends. And, it just clicked.

If you were to launch 85 in 2022, how different would be the approach?

Shalini: The sensibility would not change but we would start with much more upcoming brands. When we started, people were not ready to experiment at all. Slowly, we have been pushing the envelope.

Pooja: The kids are teaching us.

Shalini: Our goal is a person should be able to come to 85 if they are 60...

Pooja: Or, 16...

Shalini: And, they should find something here. And, not just for weddings.

What: The Haute Indian Wedding

Where: 85 Lansdowne, 85B Sarat Bose Road

When: August 24 and 25; 11am to 7pm

What would you change about each other:

Pooja: She travels too much!

Shalini: She is too thin!

Pooja: I would never like to change that about myself!

Top tips for budding entrepreneurs:

Shalini: As an entrepreneur, don’t be afraid to follow your dreams or fail. That business doesn’t exist where you will not take a loss, but if you have a passion which is driving your business, you will turn it around. Upgrade your knowledge and put it back into the business. We are curating all the time.

Pooja: If you are passionate enough to follow your dreams, you are always going to succeed. Setting standards is important.

An international name you want at 85 Lansdowne:

Pooja: Naeem Khan.

Shalini: Years ago he made a sari for me for my sister’s wedding. He used to be in Bombay at that time.

Partner speak:

Dolly Jain, celebrity draper: Unlocking the treasure trove of draping two-three distinct dupattas with lehngas, I imagine a contemporary bride to be equal parts relaxed yet poised on her D-Day. Hence, I’m coming to you with some new-age drapes that won’t weigh you down but only add to your charisma.

DJ Vicky, celebrity DJ:

I am glad to be curating the music along with my team for the entire show, starting from the background score to the music on the main event day at 85 Lansdowne. Music plays an extremely important role in Indian weddings and the idea here would be to showcase a blend of Indo-Western fusion music.

Baisakhi Ghosh of Baisakhi’s:

The focus is on showcasing the amalgamation of our design language with the expectation of our clients. With our evergrowing designs, we tend to create elements and designs that are continuously changing like seasons. Our knowledge and experience of flowers and design married with architecture and structural designs sets us apart from the rest.

Rinku Choudhary of Rivvaz:

Rivvaz sells timeless pieces made in silver. Purity and exclusivity of the thoughtful rare creations make the pieces heirlooms. The pieces are made for cherishing and holding to pass onto generations.

Ravi Bamalwa of Nemichand Bamalwa & Sons:

The design aesthetic for the Haute Wedding Collection from Nemichand Bamalwa & Sons (NCB) is rooted in what drives and inspires the HNI and ultra-HNI families of India. The modern bride doesn’t want the old-style locker jewellery and is bone-tired of ordinary designs seen on social media. Our pieces are designed with a blend of subtlety and boldness, playing with colours and sizes of materials. For more than four decades, we have been using rare gems like Golconda diamonds, Burmese rubies, Basra pearls, Colombian emeralds and Kashmir sapphires.

Rajesh Gupta, founder, Lensocrat:

Timeless memories, bespoke and true-to-life wedding films, family portraits, portraits of bride and groom, candid moments created aesthetically with love, dedication and passion. For me the thrust factor is trust.

Nidhi Poddar of Emerald Events:

Emerald fulfils dreams. We always try to personalise events. It is not just an event for us, we sew several emotions together to create something memorable.

Sanjanaa Ajmera of Ripple Effect:

As a social media associate partner, Ripple Effect is managing the social media marketing for The Haute Indian Wedding event. The future is digital and it is the optimum way to touch the hearts of millions of people. We tell a beautiful story through the use of digital art. A wedding is one of the most important events in one’s life and we wish to tell the bride and the groom’s story through visual communication, by capturing their vision and emotions for the big day!

Shashvat Dhandhania of To Die For:

At To Die For, we’re curating experiences with the food we cook, and at The Haute Indian Wedding show, we are showcasing one such experience. The food at any wedding should celebrate the occasion and provide opulence with elegance. Our desire is to create a memorable evening for all guests, through the food. It’s about cooking, and serving food that is true both to our ingredients and our guests’ taste sensibilities. The idea is to layer out menus, design and presentation with multiple flavours and textures.