By james art 
“Rethinking comes from doubt – save yourself, do what you want,” urges Sanjay Garg, respected textile designer and founder of Raw Mango. While Gen Z is known for doing just that when it comes to marriages in the Indian sub-context – the conversations continue to be bigger and various other elements come into play. Raw Mango’s holiday collection, Garland moves away from that very narrative, telling a story of reclaiming a dream wedding through the intimacy of choice and the simplicity of fashion.
Weddings in India are not just between two people but are a union between families, cultures and traditions. “Weddings are complicated—particularly in India, they’re seen as families coming together intimately, which is different from much of the West,” notes Garg. Naturally, the scale and detail involved in staging these weddings is doubled – earning them the collective title of “Big Fat Indian Wedding”. “The Garland campaign captures the real pulse of today’s conversations, there’s nothing contrived about it. The campaign reflects changing socio-cultural values. In this case, it’s about the couple’s desire to mediate their wedding, especially in terms of feeling a close connection with every action,” shares Sanjay Garg. Raw Mango’s latest campaign, envisioned and brought to life by him, follows the story of a bride and groom-to-be, Prashant and Madhyama, who manage their wedding by going against a larger gathering and the norms expected of them, and instead embrace things in turn hands to bring to life the dream ceremony they imagine.
In a classic Indian marriage, the garland is the first thing exchanged between the bride and groom and is known as a symbol of love and respect for each other – a physical manifestation of the couple’s vows and an important element of the ceremony. “Garland is an extension of all our conversations, each questioning place and perspective. This time he dives into garland culture. They are an architecture of Indian culture and an essential part of our daily life. Such a simple symbol has so many forms and meanings. From birth to death, carried on hand and foot, used as a celebration, a blessing and an ornament… they represent a feeling, they are not just decorative. What flowers grow is not necessarily under our control, but what we do with them is – from proportions to a sculptor placed on deities, made in certain types of weather or with certain scents. I think garlands are like our version of ikebana or the West’s wreaths. So essentially the collection acknowledges this uniquely Indian aesthetic of garlands,” shares the designer.
Raw Mango’s Festive Collection garland draws from the wedding garland, focusing on the depth of detail, the beauty of simplicity and expression through clothing. Over the years, the textile-rich fashion brand has built a distinct aesthetic for itself that is evident every holiday season. Deviating from the conventional isn’t a gimmick, it’s the ethos of Raw Mango’s holiday wear – detail, craftsmanship and creation underpin the collections year after year. Raw mango has always been associated with subtle elegance and redefining traditional aesthetics garland continues the conversation once again, this time with a new take on traditional bridal wear. “A simple white dress can be an ornate bridal gown as well as a sooty sari. It depends on your values. Our view of bridal weddings has long favored weightless embellishments – using new weaving techniques and motifs. Yes, embroidery also plays a role and in this collection we have used it on brocades which gives a more ornate feel,” says Garg.
While garland it doesn’t soak up the usual glitz and glamor of holiday wear, it’s no less sumptuous. The attractive silk sheen on sarees and lehengas, bright pops of color and delicate embroidery speak volumes of elegance and opulence. “On the tactile surface of the Varanasi silk brocade, we introduced zardozi embroidery with tikki, dabka, naqshi and moti in an attempt to recreate the feel of floral texture. With a minimal graphic composition of motifs – there is a fresh, almost botanical, realistic kind of visual language that is different from the usual placements of buta, bel and jaal. We also introduced contrasting color appliqués – where the paneling (and even the necklines in the garments) follow the natural design of the brocade,” Sanjay Garg tells us.
The two-year design process behind the collection speaks not only to the thoughtfulness behind each piece, but also to its symbolism. Beyond rich fabrics and silhouettes, garland is a narrative of reclaiming power through the intimacy of fashion. “Garland is not about a small wedding as much as about a couple advocating for their own decision-making,” notes Garg. Raw Mango is known for elevating Indian craftsmanship and textile traditions, as well as their storytelling prowess. We asked the designer why the story of garland and its aspect of love, marriage and alliances was necessary. “So many weddings are trends that people feel the need to be a part of – from destination weddings, earlier moment with floral orchids, sangeets across India, elaborate henna designs – these are all trends. Where are the home weddings?” He answered with a question of his own. with garland we are taking another step forward not only in Indian textile art but also in rethinking the convention of marriage today.
Character Images and Features: Courtesy of Raw Mango.
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The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.