Jayanti Reddy On Rooted Modernity, Intuition And The Freedom Of Couture | Lifestyle News
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Jayanti Reddy reflects on her India Couture Week debut, reimagining heritage crafts, and designing for the culturally rooted yet globally inspired Indian bride
Designer Jayanti Reddy, known for her India Modern aesthetic and revivalist approach to craft, ahead of her showcase at India Couture Week 2025 in New Delhi (In frame: Prerna Goel in a classic Banarsi saree by Jayanti Reddy)
Hyderabad-based couturier Jayanti Reddy has long stood out for her ability to blend India’s regal textile traditions with a distinctly modern, effortless edge. Her creations celebrated for their intricate zardozi work, architectural silhouettes, and whisper-light layering offer a quiet opulence that appeals to the discerning new-age bride. This season, she is set to showcase her latest collection on July 28 at the ongoing India Couture Week in New Delhi, marking her continued presence on the country’s most prestigious couture platform. In this conversation, Reddy reflects on her intuitive design journey, the cultural richness that shapes her aesthetic, and how her label continues to evolve with authenticity at its core.
Your work beautifully bridges the gap between heritage and modernity. How do you approach preserving traditional techniques like zardozi and handloom weaving while ensuring your designs feel relevant to the modern woman?
Heritage craft techniques have always guided my design journey but I’ve time and again reimagined them for the new-age Indian woman who’s well travelled and wants to embrace Indianness but with a touch of contemporary allure. My experimental silhouettes beautifully bridge the past with the present and each season, I try and introduce a new take on bridal and festive wear. From my push on unexpected layering to clever extrapolation of savoir-faire. Hence my designs always resonate with today’s informed couture buyer who’s looking for something classic yet avant-garde.
You’ve spoken about growing organically as a designer without a formal fashion education. What role did intuition, observation, and your business background play in shaping your design sensibility?
Being a Hyderabad based designer, the culturally rich citadel always shaped my world view from the Nizami heritage pieces to the centuries-old monuments in the city. Also, my travels, both in India and globally enrich my mood board letting my design fantasies take wings. I’ve always been a curious observer and my observations nourish my design process.
Hyderabad’s rich cultural past often influences your collections. How do you translate something as intangible as nostalgia or legacy into fabric, structure, and silhouette?
Nostalgia is definitely having a moment in fashion but I try and reinterpret it to suit the current tastes and evolving couture sensibility. I often look back into my own archives and some seminal pieces I created still speak to me. I often revisit them and craft newer styles which slightly nod towards my previous works.
As far as silhouettes and fabrics go, we’ve always offered a delightful clash between structure and fluidity like our corsets teamed with voluminous lehengas. A touch of art movements like Baroque and Art Deco make their presence felt in terms of motifs and embroidery.
With celebrities and brides increasingly opting for minimal yet statement looks, how has your creative process evolved to align with this shift in aesthetic preferences?
We’ve always rooted for a decidedly modern and pared back aesthetic as opposed to something which is too heavy and restricts movements. For instance, our signature silhouettes are steeped in weightlessness and embody freedom.
As you celebrate over a decade in fashion and expand your flagship presence across India, what are some values or philosophies that continue to anchor your brand, both creatively and commercially?
We’ve always been an artisan-first, India Modern design house. From day one, our design philosophy has been about a contemporary reinterpretation of heritage embroideries and craft techniques which enable the bride and groom to appreciate their roots. Since inception we’ve proposed a timeless wardrobe which is meant to be treasured endlessly. And I’m glad to share that this mindful approach to design has been both creatively and commercially fulfilling.
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