There is something about watching clothes move against an actual landscape rather than a conventional runway. As the sun began to dip behind the Aravalli Hills at Ananta Spa & Resort, Ajabgarh, Sahil Kochhar sent out Savera, his Spring/Summer 2027 collection, in a setting that, as the designer would later tell Manifest, came before the collection itself.
Savera, meaning the first light of morning, began when Kochhar visited the property and saw the Aravallis at daybreak. Instead of bringing an existing couture collection to Rajasthan, he decided to create something specifically for the setting. The result was a 60-look line that moved from prêt to prêt couture and finally couture, paired with jewellery by ISVARI India.
But beyond the spectacle of the setting, Savera also offered a useful look at where Kochhar sees occasion dressing going. Leftover fabrics sourced from export houses, along with scraps from his own atelier, were reworked through appliqué. Clothes remained light even when the craft was detailed. And the final couture looks slipped easily into the wardrobe of a destination wedding, from cocktails and sangeets to after-parties.
For Kochhar, that ease is becoming just as important as the statement itself. His argument is simple: if the bride and groom spend their own celebration weighed down by what they are wearing, something has gone wrong. As wedding wardrobes become more personal, he sees brides and grooms moving away from prescribed ideas of occasionwear towards lighter construction, unexpected embroidery and clothes that actually feel like them.
We caught up with Sahil Kochhar after the show to talk about the making of Savera, finding value in discarded fabric, what seven years with Rohit Bal taught him, and why the next chapter of wedding dressing may have less to do with piling on more.
M: Let’s start with Savera. What does the name mean to you, and how did the collection come together around this setting?
SK: Savera is the first light of the morning, and that’s where the inspiration comes from. When I first visited the property, I was here in the morning and saw the Aravallis in that first light. I immediately thought, how can we not have a show here?
The brand has always had a connection with the flora and fauna of the country, with wildlife and nature. Being here felt like coming full circle. I knew we had to create something that did justice to the place.
The easiest thing would have been to bring our couture here and do a show, but we didn’t want to do that. We created ready-to-wear specifically for this setting, and that’s where Savera came from. It was actually the other way around: we didn’t choose the location for Savera. Being here led to Savera.
M: Savera has 60 looks. What went into putting a collection of this scale together?
SK: I could only do 60 looks. I wish I could have done more because Savera could go much further.
It took months of work. There was really no day, night or morning that you could calculate while putting it together. I was pushing my team quite hard to make sure everything came together, but they outdid themselves.
And then to see the collection here, with the sun setting and the Aravallis in the background, made it exceptional.
M: You spoke about working with leftover and discarded fabrics. How much of that thinking went into Savera?
SK: It’s not just part of Savera anymore, it’s part of the brand ethos.
Before we source new fabrics, I send my team out to look for leftover fabrics from export houses and other places. What somebody else might call surplus is a goldmine for us.
There are also leftovers within our own factory because we work extensively with appliqué. A lot of the pieces in Savera use appliqué made from fabrics that were already left with us. It is about looking at what already exists and finding a way to use it again.
M: A lot of Savera feels suited to destination celebrations. Where do you see these pieces fitting into a wedding wardrobe?
SK: As a brand, we work a lot with occasions such as cocktails and sangeets rather than focusing entirely on the wedding ceremony itself.
The final section of the show had around 12 outfits that were worked on as couture. Those are pieces I can see becoming statement looks for a destination wedding.
That was also the progression of the show. It moved from prêt to prêt couture and finally to couture. When you’re doing a destination show, it makes sense to have clothes that belong in that world.
M: What do you think brides and grooms are looking for now, particularly when it comes to comfort and occasion dressing?
SK: A lot of clients come to us, pick up an outfit and immediately ask, “How can this be so light?” because visually it still looks worked upon.
That’s what we stand for: comfort along with statement dressing, couture and craft.
If the bride and groom are the ones suffering through the entire night because of what they are wearing, then it isn’t really their evening. It has to be their evening first.
People often end up trying to mimic somebody else, and that’s something I want to break away from. Brides and grooms today are much more exposed to what is happening around them, and they want something that feels like them rather than looking like everyone else.
M: Are you seeing that change particularly strongly with grooms?
SK: Completely. People come to us because they haven’t found that particular look elsewhere, and that gives us a kick more than anything else.
I think we have to break away from stereotypical groom looks. You don’t always have to be decked up or covered in embroidery. You have to be comfortable in your own skin.
Anything that genuinely relates to you can be your look.
M: You worked with Rohit Bal for seven years. What stayed with you from that experience when you eventually developed your own design language?
SK: Gudda would let you experiment. He would let you do what you wanted as long as it sat within the aesthetic of the brand. There was a sense of trust in your aesthetic and the freedom to push an idea.
I come from that mindset. For me, what eventually matters is that when you walk out, all eyes are on you. And that doesn’t mean you have to be loaded with embroidery. You can look stunning and classic in a way that makes you impossible to miss.
M: If you had to dress a groom from Savera, what would you put him in?
SK: The shirtless one! Maybe for the after-party.
But that’s exactly the point. It’s about being yourself rather than having somebody else tell you what you should look like.
Some of the looks we did deliberately break away from stereotypical wedding dressing. You don’t always need to be decked up in embroidery. You need to be comfortable in your own skin. That’s what matters.
M: And what do you think we’ll see more of from brides and grooms next wedding season?
SK: A lot of neutrals, and embroidery that isn’t your usual zardozi.
I think everyone around us is starting to look the same. Brides and grooms are now exposed to so much that they want to make sure they don’t look like anyone else.
That individuality is going to be the trend.