Anushree Reddy's MAYA swaps bridal red for blue; Sara Arjun makes runway debut

Designer Anushree Reddy presented MAYA, her fall bridal collection made in collaboration with Lakmé Salon, at Lakmé Fashion Week x FDCI at the Taj Palace in New Delhi on Friday, October 16, 2026. Actor Sara Arjun, 21, made her runway debut as the show's showstopper. Reddy described MAYA as an exploration of femininity, colour and craft, built around a bride who dreams freely and sees herself in many different ways. Several reports described Arjun's look as a powder-blue bridal gown with white embroidery, a sculpted peplum and a mermaid hem, a clear step away from the red and gold that usually dominate Indian bridal wear. The show was set to live bridal music from the band Nankhathai.

Bridal collections matter beyond the ramp, because what designers put on the runway can influence what brides ask for in the months that follow. A pale blue gown with white work, closing a bridal show, signals that designers see room for brides who do not want the traditional red. It also shows how much bridal dressing now borrows from gowns and Western tailoring, with features like the peplum and the mermaid hem.

The collaboration with Lakmé Salon is another sign of how the industry is changing. A bridal look is no longer sold as an outfit alone. Hair, make-up and styling are treated as part of the same story, and a salon brand putting its name to a designer's bridal show is a way to reach brides at the moment they are planning the whole look. For a woman-led design label, such tie-ups can bring a larger audience than a solo show.

Sara Arjun's debut gave the show its biggest moment. Speaking to the news agency ANI after the show, she said she is "very fluid" when it comes to dressing up and that "usually, comfort is what I look for." She also said that "none of us is perfect all the time," and credited the hairstylist, make-up artist and stylist behind her look. For young women who follow celebrity fashion closely, that is a useful reminder: the finished image on the ramp is the work of a team, not a standard anyone is expected to meet on her own.

Short-term: The show puts pastel and non-traditional colours in front of brides and families planning the winter wedding season, and gives the Lakmé Salon and Anushree Reddy partnership wide visibility during the fashion week.

Long-term: If pastel and gown-inspired bridal looks keep appearing on major runways, more brides may move away from the default red-and-gold palette, and beauty brands may lean further into joint bridal campaigns with designers.

Who is affected: Brides and their families, bridal-wear designers and boutiques, salon and make-up professionals, and young women who take their style cues from fashion week.

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