Aren't weddings the only time we get to wear a lehenga and live our desi princess fantasy? With shaadi season in full swing, everyone's pulling up their lehenga game so we decided to do a round up of the most popular lehenga design trends we saw coming to life in 2023. From metallic textiles to mermaid cuts and even structural couture elements, read the complete list to know what's hot and what's not if you too are planning to buy a lehenga for the wedding season.
Wedding SZN Special: 10 Latest Lehenga Designs We Saw Trending In 2023
Risqué Blouses
Trending lehengas this year had one thing in common — risqué blouses. From tube bralettes to sweetheart plunge necklines and even what's called a 'barely there' bandeau, designers have upped the stakes in this area. The contrast of the puffy lehenga with a tight-fitted blouse that makes a statement actually looks stunning if you don't mind the OTT blouse.
Metallic Textiles
2023 was the year when we saw both maximalism and minimalism ruling the fashion charts. One fashion element that definitely had a field day in Indian fashion were metallic fabrics. With designers like Amit Aggarwal, Gaurav Gupta, and Rimzim Dadu among others using metallic threads for garments, the latest lehenga designs feature a subdued glam which is extra but not in your face — perfect for a cocktail look.
Structural Elements
The latest lehenga trend we saw taking over the runway was structural elements. We can solely credit the hype of this to ace designer Gaurav Gupta whose designs almost always feature an artistic couture element of sculpting that has established his fashion house as a brand known for its experimental draping. Designer Tarun Tahiliani too has been incorporating similar details in his gowns and lehengas which is a lovely pick for brides who want something unique for their reception look.
Minimal Colours
Neutral colours plus all-over embroidery are two things we didn't know we would want in a lehenga. Usually, when you are opting for a sober colour in a a lehenga, the idea is to keep the detailing to the minimum for a simplistic appeal, but we were quite impressed to spot the opposite this year. The lightness of the colour and the jazziness of the embroidery give you the best of both worlds which is perfect for a bride who wants to ditch colour on her D-day, but still wants some sparkle for her bridal lehenga.
Corsets
Corsets aren't going out of fashion any time soon. The fitted and structured appearance of the corset makes for the perfect accompaniment with a flowy lehenga since it balances out the silhouette quite perfectly. Also, the combination of Indian lehenga meets western corset gives the lehenga a slightly modern touch which is great for those who don't want to go the traditional route.
Blingy Embellishments
This year, we saw people going all out with bling for their clothes. From dripping in sequins to stone-work and even threadwork, we have seen fashion designers pull out all stops to make this a year where people love dressing up and finally having their moment after a year or two of chasing minimalism. For brides and bridesmaids who want their lehenga design to speak fluent extravagance, adding embellishments is the key!
Mermaid Cuts
Mermaid cut lehengas have finally become a common thing! While some may feel that its just a phase, we feel its actually worth a try since it looks feminine, fun, and super stylish. For those who loathe wearing flowy lehengas, a mermaid lehenga might actually be the thing for you since it features a fitted silhouette and very less ghera which is especially perfect if you have a petite body type and feel usual lehengas make you look 'drowned' in loads of fabric.
Printed Lehengas
If you are a wedding attendee who doesn't want to wear a lehenga that's heavy, jazz,y and difficult to carry then simply opt for a printed one. Printed lehengas are breezy and perfect for dancing the night away in. While florals are always a safe choice for the print, you can be a little more experimental and add minimal beading or sequins in case you wish to make it a little more sparkly just like the one in the picture from fashion designer, Mahima Mahajan's latest lehenga collection.
Dupatta Trail
For a lehenga that looks straight out of a fairytale, a dupatta that trails behind you is a must! If you envisioned your wedding entry to be similar to that of a royal, then a long dupatta with a sweeping trail is just the right addition to your lehenga design! This has become a hot trend since brides want to have the prefect snapshots from their wedding, and don't want to make customisations to the lehenga itself so getting a normal length dupatta with a dupatta trail makes total sense.
Capes And Jackets
For those who enjoy the layered look a jacket or cape can give to the lehenga, we have great news — this trend is still going strong in the lehenga fashion game in 2023. Such lehenga designs are ideal for folks who are not too fond of carrying a dupatta and favour designs like these in which they can freely move. What's more to love is that it gives you the option to reuse the lehenga later on with a different dupatta if you feel like refreshing the look.
