Why Sonam Babani chose Atelier Versace to design one of her wedding outfits

The social media influencer lets us in on the process behind creating her one-of-a-kind black-and-gold lehenga choli

In April 2020, influencer Sonam Babani was to wear a magnificent Atelier Versace lehenga choli for her sangeet in Bodrum, Turkey, which had to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Two years later, she tied the knot amidst snow-capped mountains in Switzerland and now, social media is abuzz with not only the fairytale wedding, but also the black-and-gold Atelier Versace outfit she wore for one of the functions. Babani tells us more.

I always wanted to be a bride who would wear outfits that no one else had. I wanted to focus on pieces that would make me feel and look different on my special day, but that were still inherently ‘me’. They’ve had the most amazing moments in fashion history (I’ve always loved the iconic black-and-gold safety pin dress) and I simply admire the heritage of the brand when it comes to couture. This is what resonated with me when it came to choosing the label. I had a friend who knew someone in the men’s department at Atelier Versace, and he got me in touch with them.

On international versus Indian couturiers

I wanted something very personalised and I wanted to be a part of the creative process. With international couturiers, you’re fully involved, but with Indian designers today, you’re not. They have their collections where you can, at best, change the colour or the design of the neckline or a sleeve. Besides Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla, whose creation I had already worn for my wedding, there’s no other designer who can give you that kind of service, and that level of feeling like this is couture. When you go to Milan for your fittings to certain brands, you feel like you’re wearing couture. From the customer service to even the way they take your measurements—I wanted that experience. I had three people taking my measurements, and so precisely. The design process was absolutely beautiful too; it was interesting to see how they construct an Indian outfit. Even while creating the sketch, they’ll take your picture and put your face in the sketch to show you how the outfit would look on you, and that is what you call detailing.

On trendspotting

When I saw Isha Ambani wear the Valentino Couture lehenga choli for her wedding, which took place a few months before my original wedding date, I realised someone else is also doing it. More and more international designers are catering to an Indian audience now. In fact, I recently had a meeting with Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda and they’ve started designing saris and lehengas, so I definitely think other brides-to-be might consider these options too. I got a lot of Instagram DMs from women telling me they want to wear the kind of outfit I wore, asking me how to get in touch with the team at Atelier Versace.

On the design

Since I was supposed to wear the outfit for my beach sangeet, when the wedding was to be in Turkey before the pandemic hit over two years ago, I wanted a lighter skirt, one that would be comfortable. I opted for a very bold and sexy design. I sent Versace references of lehengas but told them that I’d like a slit. The colors were classic Versace–the black and gold, as I wanted the brand to be very evident, although it had an Indian touch. After some back and forth, we locked in on the design, and by the time I flew to Milan, they had all the swatches ready–the print, the embroidery, everything.

For my second fitting, I had to fly to Milan with special permission, as tourists from India weren’t allowed in Italy at the time. When I saw the outfit, I was stunned. The blouse was embroidered with zari and crystals. It also had buttons at the back with the medusa on them but was actually fastened with an invisible zip, and one that doesn’t get stuck! For the lehenga, they initially told me they wouldn’t be using cancan, and I wondered how the lehenga would then look voluminous.But once it was ready, I was amazed to see the amount of volume it had without any cancan. It was designed as a bias-cut skirt and when it opened up, it looked beautiful. Additionally, the design is such that I could totally wear it again. I can easily pair the black skirt with a white T-shirt or a white shirt, but I don’t know if I want to take away the sanctity of the outfit just yet.

My family’s reaction

We had a court marriage last year with our families but I didn’t feel married until now because I was hell bent on doing my pheras. My entire family finds it really funny that I’ve gone through all these lengths to get my outfit. When I flew to Italy during the third wave of the pandemic, my family told me, “You’re going back again for this outfit?” They thought I was extremely stubborn about it. But ultimately, when they saw it, they were all praises, which was very exciting. In fact, my husband Neil said, “Oh wait, let me just look at you again.” Everyone absolutely loved it. Even on social media, there was so much love on my page, I was shocked; I wasn’t expecting it. The number of followers that reposted my videos was crazy.

Two years later

My dad was so worried that the outfit had been in Italy for two years but I reassured him that the Versace team is extremely professional and that nothing is going to happen to the clothes. Even two years later, they were so welcoming and did everything they needed to do. It felt right out of a fairy tale, pandemic notwithstanding!

As told to Hanadi M Habib

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