EXCLUSIVE: Designer of the Week Neeta Lulla on common mistakes brides make, must haves in a trousseau & more

As a designer whose journey began back in 1988, Neeta Lulla has come a long way. The designer who prefers the term 'costume technician' rather than 'costume designer', reinvented the bridal lehenga by giving it not one but 2 dupattas to give the bride a more magnanimous look. Since then, her journey has only evolved and taken her places.

"There isn't a material I haven't worked with. I used fur back in 1990!" she tells us when we curiously ask her what she'd like to experiment with. It only makes sense though since her journey completes almost 4 decades! As a field that's always changing and evolving, we want to know how couture has changed for her. "What's become very huge, is the aspect of embroidery and styling. The impact of cuts and techniques on garments which is true to the style of it has become secondary," she tells us after a thoughtful pause. What's remained constant though, "Is the magnanimity of the over-the-top technique."

Mouni Roy in a Neeta Lulla lehenga

As someone who has managed to stay relevant for almost 4 decades, set trends with dupattas, made the saree go from 6 and 9 yards to a whopping 15 yards, we want to understand the key to staying relevant and keeping abreast to the changing nature of her industry. "Keeping an open mind and understanding where consumer-psychology is headed," is key, she says. "It is also vital to keep the aspect of the heritage and culture of your own country in mind and amalgamate foreign embellishments with your country's aesthetics to give it a global appeal," Lulla, who has worked on films like Tahalivii, Devdas, Manikarnika, Panipat and more.

Genelia Deskhmukh in a Neeta Lulla saree

When we ask her what her most memorable film has been so far, the ace designer refuses to pick just one. "I cannot pinpoint just one that hasn't given me a challenge or aspiration to work beyond the sensibilities of my own genre. I've been able to create new looks for films that are constantly evolving and take you away from the real world making you feel like you're in a dream," says the designer who just enjoys her journey.

Samantha in a Neeta Lulla creation

Coming to where we could use her expertise most right now that we're bang in the middle of wedding season, we want to know from the designer, what she thinks are some common mistakes brides make. The biggest one she tells us is, "Trying out different colours and techniques without having a couture consultation. This sometimes doesn't work in terms of wear ability. We generally tend to pick up jewellery after the outfit but it is important for a bride to pick up an outfit after the jewellery and create her bridal looks around it. Picking an outfit first is like picking out furniture first without picking a house," she explains in simpler terms.

And from the top of her head, before wrapping up, we're keen to know what she thinks are the most important pieces a bride must have in her trousseau. "Aa n elegant and comfortable shoe, a bag that is mid-size for everyday use as well as a smaller fancier bag for major occasions, a few well-cut blouses in neutral colours that can be reused with various sarees, a tunic top or jacket that can be coordinated with sarees or pants, well-fitting tops and flared pants that can again be worn both formally and casually," signs off the designer who has created outfits for Samantha and Dev Mohan's next film shot in Hyderabad.

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