Anita Dongre’s Love All bridal capsule reimagines wedding wear for the modern bride who dresses for herself, not a role. Sun-washed pastels, lighter silhouettes and vegan textiles merge with hand-painted Pichhwai, Gota Patti, Zardozi and Maheshwari weaves, creating pieces that feel grand yet effortless, rooted in craft yet versatile enough to live beyond the wedding day.
The modern bride is no longer dressing for a role. She is dressing for herself. She wants the grandeur of bridalwear without being weighed down by it, the craftsmanship of tradition without being bound by convention, and pieces that can live beyond the wedding day. It is this changing relationship with fashion, celebration and identity that encapsulates the essence of Anita Dongre’s latest bridal capsule, Love All, the first edit from her Festive Winter 2026 collection.
Inspired by the tennis court, the collection uses the language of sport to speak about something more enduring: a partnership between equals. Its sun-washed pastels, softer silhouettes and intricate craft bring together hand-painted Pichhwai, Gota Patti, Zardozi, Cord embroidery and Maheshwari weaves, while a selection of vegan textiles reflects the house’s continuing engagement with conscious design.
At its centre are Pichhwai lehengas that take between 90 and 120 days to complete, moving through the hands of artisans and studios across regions. For Dongre, however, Love All is less about a sporting reference than it is about the kind of love she believes last. The love that allows two people to remain entirely themselves. That philosophy extends naturally into her understanding of today’s bride, who is now choosing comfort, individuality and versatility over prescribed ideas of what bridalwear should be. Here, the designer speaks to Manifest about the inspiration behind her latest collection, the evolution of Indian bridalwear, why craft must be given time and what it means to dress a bride who wants to be fully present at her own celebration.
M: The idea of two people choosing each other as equals feels particularly relevant to how younger couples approach marriage. How do you think the meaning of bridalwear is changing as relationships themselves evolve?
AD: In my time, I was an anomaly. I had a love marriage and walked an uncharted career path for my family. And so when I meet brides now, that has become their norm, and it is honestly so gratifying to see that switch.
It’s lovely to see them own their decisions, choose comfort and think about the afterlife of a bridal look they invest in. Pieces like the afterparty dress or the brunch dress become more relevant because they offer the bride a way to shine even when she switches from her heels to her dancing sneakers to truly enjoy her wedding.
Comfort is a true priority to them. The restrictions around silhouettes are gradually disappearing, and brides are more willing to experiment and wear what feels like them. There is also a greater desire to enjoy the moment rather than feel bound by what bridalwear is expected to be.
M: From hand-painted Pichhwai and Gota Patti to Zardozi, Cord embroidery and Maheshwari weaves, the collection brings together several traditional craft languages. How did you balance these rich techniques with the quiet, contemporary mood of Love All?
AD: For me, craft and contemporary design have always gone hand in hand. The richness of these techniques lies in their history, but they also have to evolve with the times. In Love All, we brought these crafts into softer silhouettes and a more contemporary palette. A lightness of embellishment, intimate details, pastels that feel personal rather than ceremonial, without removing them of their essence. The result, I hope, feels like the same craft seen in a gentler kind of light.
M: The Pichhwai artists have traditionally depicted deities in communion with nature, while here the focus shifts to birds, trees and nature itself. What drew you to reinterpret this centuries-old tradition in this particular way?
AD: The Pichhwai tradition has always depicted deities in communion with the natural world. What I wanted to do was simply shift the gaze, so that nature itself became the romantic protagonist. Birds in conversation. Trees that lean. That language already exists within the form; we just turned the light a little.
Craft has to sustain through adaptation. Reinterpreting Pichhwai through the natural world felt like a meaningful way to honour the tradition while allowing it to breathe into something new.
M: Each Pichhwai lehenga takes 90 to 120 days to complete and travels between studios in Mumbai and Rajasthan. What does this kind of slow, collaborative craftsmanship mean to you at a time when bridal fashion is increasingly driven by speed and trends?
AD: Indian craft cannot be rushed. Every piece passes through several hands and carries the skill and patience of the artisans who create it. For us, it has also been important to take meaningful work to grassroots artisans, to make sustained employment accessible to communities through the craft they have inherited. When someone wears a Pichhwai lehenga, they are wearing something made with depth and not rushed by speed. That quiet dignity is part of what the garment carries. In a world increasingly driven by trends and fast cycles, I think it is essential to preserve these processes and give craftsmanship the time it deserves.
M: We’re seeing brides move away from the idea of a single, highly traditional wedding wardrobe towards pieces that feel more personal and versatile. What are the biggest shifts you’re noticing in bridalwear?
Ensembles today are a reflection of individuality. Brides are experimenting more with silhouettes, separates, colours and lighter pieces, and are far less concerned with following a prescribed idea of what a bride should look like.
A large part of that shift is also practical. Today’s bride is no longer standing on a stage greeting guests. She is in the crowd, enjoying her wedding. That means lighter clothes, easy to move in, without any compromise on grandeur.
M: Pastels, lighter silhouettes, cocktail-ready pieces and separates are entering the bridal wardrobe. Do you think the idea of what constitutes ‘bridal’ is becoming more fluid?
AD: Absolutely. Bridalwear is no longer defined by a particular kind of ornamentation. A bride can wear a pastel, a lighter silhouette or a more minimal piece and still feel completely bridal.
But what excites me most is that she is a bride not just for the few days of the wedding itself. Some of our brides include a day of sewa, in service to a community or cause, as part of their celebrations. Some want our lighter dresses for their bachelorette trips. Their state of mind is about their own joy and presence, not about meeting an expectation. That freedom is a wonderful reflection of how women want to live today, not just how they want to dress.
M: Love All also explores vegan textiles as part of the collection. How do you see conscious luxury evolving within Indian bridalwear, and what do you think consumers are becoming more discerning about?
AD: There is a growing consciousness around consumption, and luxury is evolving to be more meaningful. Being aware of what you buy, where it comes from and how it is made has become genuinely important to a new generation of brides.
For us, conscious design is not a trend we are responding to. It is at the core of our identity and philosophy. We continue to believe that beauty, craft and considered values belong together.
M: You’ve spent decades shaping the language of Indian fashion. When you look at today’s bride, what excites you most about the way she is dressing?
AD: There is a beautiful confidence in the way today’s bride approaches fashion. To see that shift is to see young women owning their decisions, choosing comfort, investing in pieces they want to live in long after the wedding. That excites me most.
Her state of mind has changed. She is not standing at the centre of a ceremony, performing a role. She is present at her own celebration, in the crowd, in the moment, entirely herself.
M: On a personal level, what does an equal partnership mean to you, and did that understanding of love influence the way you approached Love All?
AD: To me, an equal partnership is about respect, understanding, and giving each other the freedom to be who you are. Love All celebrates that sense of togetherness without taking away from individuality. That balance was very much at the heart of how we approached the collection.