Somebody asked me – what goes behind making a designer lehenga?
I said, well to know that you need to hear a little story…
One afternoon, standing by the seashore of the Bay of Bengal on the other side of Chilika Lake, Odisha, divided by a thin strip of mystical forest, the vision for the Sea Spray Mermaid Lehenga came to me.
My husband and I were in Odisha for his colleague’s wedding. He didn’t have to convince me much to accompany him with a group of 15-20 unknown techies because, by now, you’d already know—I love weddings and Indian wedding fashion.
So I jumped at the first cue, (over)packed my wedding essentials, and headed to the state of Odisha for the first time ever. We landed in Bhubaneswar, the capital of the state. I went into the trip with little knowledge of the itinerary, thinking we were just there for a wedding. Little did I know, our group had planned a road trip (yay!).
As a young girl, I’d soon realized that driving through unknown lands can invoke a sense of creativity, as you let your mind wander off with the ever-changing scenery. The colors, the silhouettes, the way a man greets his child after a long day—everything tells a story that you can weave into art.
I released Monumental in 2024 as my first collection, but my creative juices were already at work since January 2023.
Offering prayers at the divine temple of Jagannath Puri—one of the four Dhams of the Hindu Char Dham pilgrimage—was a major milestone in my spiritual journey and brought clarity to my thoughts.
The Konark Sun Temple—an architectural marvel—served as an inspiration behind a lot of motif creation I've done for my embroideries.
And now, traipsing back to the serene seashore of the Bay of Bengal, I stand hand in hand with my love, mentally threading pearls into a string of emotions that would later embody the iconic Sea Spray Mermaid Lehenga.
With Love, Romance and Valour,
Shourya Jain
Founder and Designer SHOURYA GATHA