Designer Sulakshana Monga on Crafting Emotion and Elegance

When tradition and transformation meet, the result is couture that looks beautiful as well as tells a story rich in heritage, detail and soul. Sulakshana Monga, whose journey across the last three decades in fashion has been marked by artistic expression, stands atop this philosophy. The designer has imbued the brand with intricate craftsmanship, respecting cultural nuances, taking it to new heights as a true luxury bridal one-stop shop for artistically driven silhouettes that exude grace. 

Born in Bikaner, she acquired experienced partners in her sons Dhruv and Porus. Together, the family continues to nurture a brand that speaks to the contemporary bride and groom, custom-making creations equally at home in the personal and the timeless.

In this exclusive conversation with Manifest, she talks about her ever-evolving design philosophy, the shifting trends of bridalwear, and the joy of building a legacy with family for generations to come.

In Conversation with Sulakshana Monga and Sons

Manifest: What inspires you to create every day? 

Dhruv: So, growing up, I was always around my mother — she used to design a lot of garments. It's just a childhood thing for me. I grew up surrounded by fashion, so it has always held a special place in my heart. Whenever I design it puts me in a nice, positive zone. I design fro the heart and it brings a sense of peace and happiness. Seeing my clients look good and feel happy in the new collections I create gives me more motivation to keep designing.

M: That was great. What is your favourite part about Indian weddings? 

Porus: Our favourite part about Indian weddings is dressing up the bride and groom. That is truly what we love the most- styling them in our new silhouettes, with our new designs and creations. When they wear our newest pieces at their weddings, it motivates us and fills us with happiness. 

M: What is your favourite part about Indian weddings? 

Sulakshana: An Indian wedding is something special- It’s when you truly connect with the bride and groom on their big day. That brings great happiness. As a designer, making them look beautiful and making their day even more special- that’s what it's all about. The smile on the bride’s face is what truly makes us feel great, and, in that moment, we become a part of it.

M:  What has been your favourite collection so far? 

D: So, whenever we design a collection, it's always inspired by a lot of mythical stories. Sometimes it's inspired by nature or history, so we always go into depth with our collection with a lot of information. So, that's why we bring something fresh to the market. Also, it's very uncharted territory. It's always in the imagination, in our heart, what we dream about, something fresh, something new for the new, our Indian audience. We have been part of Indian culture, so it's been very repetitive. Whenever we see Indian Bridal wear, it's very repetitive. So, we try to bring something fresh. So, it's always a different approach that leads to a great story. 

M: OK. Has there been a moment where the bride has asked something which is out of the box, but you've had a lot of fun making that for her? 

S: Always. That is the challenge

P: Every time- that is the challenge we always take on ourselves.  So, whenever a bride comes in, we have lovely designs that are always available on the racks. But we always try to deliver more than what we’ve already done in our design. They ask for customizations, they ask for a few changes in the dresses-making them deeper, smarter, sexier and more elegant, and we enjoy that with them. 

Every person has their own fantasies-for dressing up, for their weddings, for their functions- and we always try to cater to all of those things through their garments. 

For us, it's not about creating one design- it’s always about the one we’re creating it for. So, according to that person, we design our clothes every time someone walks in. 

M: What can we expect from your upcoming collection at the FDCI Wedding Weekend? 

D:  So, the collection we have designed is called The New Heritage. It's a combination of different cultures- we have blended them beautifully. We have taken oriental fashion, mixed it with street style and contemporized it using Indian textiles.

It's very beautifully crafted. It's very GEN-Z, very youthful- it's for the new-age bride and groom, it's fun. 

We have used denims in our collection along with Kashmiri embroidery, lots of appliques and different textures. It's very personal to our ethos, and the collection feels vibrant and fresh- truly made for the new-age bride and groom. 

Looking to explore the best of couture and fine jewellery? Then head to the FDCI Manifest Wedding Weekend this August 2–3, 2025, at the Taj Palace, New Delhi. Register here.