Our Bureau
New York, NY
Nazranaa – The global leading brand for Indian fashion and bridalwear unveiled their SS26 collection “Samskriti” on September 11th at The Glasshouse in New York City. Nazranaa is the brainchild of sister and brother designer duo Shivangi Gupta Singh and Shashank Gupta. This latest collection, Samskriti, draws inspiration from their spiritual journey and the rediscovery of Indian culture, extending beyond what is typically taught in families or history books. It celebrates India’s forgotten art, literature, and philosophy by reinterpreting them through the lens of couture. Inspired by works like the Shri Ramakrishna Vilomakavyam, a 15th-century, 36-verse bidirectional poem in Sanskrit written by Surya Pandita, the collection seeks to honor such genius. Samskriti aims to spotlight India’s heritage on a global stage and give it the recognition it deserves.
“As a child, I remember being mesmerized by ambigrams in Angels & Demons. Years later, I stumbled upon the 15th-century Sanskrit palindromic poem, which tells the story of the Rāmāyaṇa when read from left to right and Kṛṣṇa’s life when read from right to left. I was baffled by its brilliance, and I knew I wanted to use my love language—fashion—to shine light on such forgotten treasures of our culture. Samskriti is our humble effort to give credit to works of art like this and to honor our ancestors through couture.” says Nazranaa co-founder Shashank Gupta.
These visions came to life in Samskriti, an 18-piece collection, where sherwanis and lehengas became canvases of storytelling through couture. The showstopper lehenga is inspired by the genius of Maharishi Valmiki’s weaving of the Gayatri Mantra into the Ramayana. The Gayatri Mantra has 24 syllables, and in the Ramayana, the first syllable begins the epic, and each thousandth verse begins with the following syllable. This concept was translated into a lehenga with 24 panels, each beginning with a syllable of the mantra at the top, followed by the corresponding verse and the chapter or khanda at the base. Each panel is hand-painted with the story from that chapter, while the dupatta depicts the sage himself writing this timeless scripture. It is our way of transforming sacred text into wearable art.
Nazranaa’s new collection will be available to shop on their website nazranaanj.com.
About Nazranaa: Founded by Shashank Gupta and Shivangi Gupta Singh in 2012, Nazranaa is the country’s premier South Asian bridal boutique, dedicated to bringing you exquisite bridal wear and accessories. We aim to bring our customers’ visions to life, blending elegance and tradition for your special day. To learn more, visit: nazranaanj.com.
