Va Va-Groom

Indian grooms are getting their groove back. They are done dressing up for 'maharaja portraits' stiff, stern, and every ounce of joy squeezed of the soul, but an aesthetic plastic smile pasted on the face. They're now dressing to live it up on their big day. Designer Kunal Rawal breaks down how comfort, individuality and coded detail are reshaping GenZ weddings

- Niraj Kakade

Indian weddings are getting bolder by the day, and the tailoring behind them has never been sleeker. The old-school idea of the stiff, bejewelled groom is being replaced with something sharper, lighter and far more personal. At the centre of this shift is Kunal Rawal, who has just opened a new store in Kolkata and continues to champion what he calls the “Modern Maharaja”. His clothes aren’t costumes. They are engineered for movement, built for versatility and designed to say something about the man wearing them. Whether it is coded embroidery, safa pins that actually work or brocades reimagined for men rather than borrowed from women’s wardrobes, Rawal is dismantling the onetime outfit mindset.

The collection called World of KR – Drop 1, it celebrates versatility and self-expression through lightweight layers, breathable linings, and angular cuts. At its heart is brocade, reimagined exclusively for menswear. As Rawal puts it, “Brocade. Traditionally Banarasi brocades were designed for womenswear and later adapted for men. We reversed that. Over the last few years we have developed brocades exclusively for menswear with real gold and silver threads. This season we have re-engineered them into sharper silhouettes layered with coded details. It is heritage meeting modern masculinity and it feels completely new.” In his words, the Indian groom does not want a look he can only stand still in. He wants something he can live in.

Grooms today seem braver with fashion than ever. What is the biggest shift you have noticed in how men approach their wedding look?