Q&A with Sanyukta Sanyukta – Focus on Ethical Sustainable Wedding Dress
What Exactly Do You Mean When Sanyukta Shrestha Brand Uses The Term ‘Sustainable Wedding Dress’?
Sustainable Fashion is deeply connected with key social, environmental and economic issues that aim to protect the planet, as well as the lives of those involved in the process of production. Ethical issues follow the life cycle of the product at every stage of the design process and supply chain that the brand follows. With that being said, an ethical and sustainable wedding dress is made with environmentally-friendly textiles, minimal or zero waste throughout the production and transparency in the supply chain with compassion for people, animals and planet as a whole.
What can a bride expect from purchasing a Sanyukta Shrestha dress?
Individuality, Elegance and Sustainable Luxury. It’s been my desire for many years to create beautiful signature designs that are luxurious, indulgent and unique but also sustainable and fair trade. I believe in reflecting the individuality through my designs. For me feeling amazing is just as important as looking amazing! Trends change but truly good designs should stand the test of time. I think ultimately, that is what I aim for every time I begin work on new pieces.
For Brides, What Are The Benefits Of Choosing An Ethical Sustainable Wedding Dress?
Sanyukta Shrestha’s eco-friendly philosophy prioritises the health and wellbeing of our bride. We use natural, organic and eco fibres because we want high quality material that will feel great, protect and nourish our brides in the best way possible, making them radiate on the day naturally. By taking care of our brides, we take care of the environment.
The use of natural and wild fabrics, respond ideally to the need of a bride to feel comfortable and relaxed on her special day yet also cater to those brides who suffer from severe conditions such as Multiple Chemical Sensitivity and Skin Hypersensitivity.
Apart from taking into consideration details such as the weather, skin, and age of the brides, our weddings gowns are hand-spun, hand-woven, hand-embroidered and hand-made from beginning to the end, providing a complete tailor-made approach to every one of our brides. The final result is a wedding gown that reflects the personality of our bride, fits impeccably, feels comfortable and is naturally exclusive.
Your Opinion, What Makes Ethical Dresses so special?
We believe that is a number of things that make ethical dresses noteworthy. When it comes to our brand, the fact that we use wild and natural fibres which can be rarely found anywhere else is something that established our identity from the early days of our brand and made us differ.
The hand-embroidered pieces are the result of a team of skilled embroidery artisans (no child labour has been used) that work under the supervision of Sanyukta, showcasing their incredible technique and combining the designer’s vision with their own Nepalese traditional craftsmanship. Each of our creations encourages fair trade movements for local villagers and women in Nepal while minimising the impact on the environment, a commitment that transforms our mission for luxury and sustainable bridal wear into a life.
The choice of wearing an ethical dress is a vote of trust and confidence to humanity and planet earth and that is what it drives the Sanyukta Shrestha team to deliver a wedding dress that every bride dreamt only in her wildest dreams. Our ultimate goal is to spread love and happiness to our brides as well as to the people that make the brand alive.
How does Sanyukta Shrestha stand out from other bridal labels?
Sanyukta Shrestha is a sustainable luxury brand with a conscience. The dresses are made from natural and eco-friendly handmade fabrics such as hemp silk and bamboo lace. Most fabrics used in my collections have skin nourishing and anti-bacterial properties.
What are the most impoertant things brides should keep in mind whilst chosing their wedding gown?
The best advice I would give any bride-to-be, is to keep an open mind when it comes to choosing the wedding dress. Everyone is different, we all have different personalities and we all have unique shapes, sizes and curves. The ‘dream dress’ a bride-to-be has seen on another bride or model might not necessarily be the right dress. A bride should try on different styles to get a feel for what flatters her figure and suits her personality.
A wedding dress should be ‘Beauty with comfort’ brides should follow their heart and not trends. The perfect wedding dress is the one that reflects a bride’s personality, compliments her figure and most importantly, it’s the one she feels most comfortable in. So I would say: “Stay true to yourself and stick to the shapes you know work. You should feel beautiful and happy while you are wearing it!”
What’s your philosophy on life?
You have to think of every consequence, every choice that may affect people and the planet. As a person and as a designer I feel responsible for what I do and the decisions I make in my life and my career.
Who or what inspires you?
Each bride’s unique love of fashion and simple yet individual style gives me great inspiration. In my collections I capture the dreams and stories that brides have shared with me over the years. I find my surroundings also inspire my work as I have been privileged enough to visit many amazing places on this beautiful earth. And I am a very vivid dreamer, so I do find inspirations in my dreams at night.