Karleo's Leon Vaz shares the story behind Jennifer Winget's wedding gown, revealing how over 3,000 hours of craftsmanship, intricate Indian embroidery, Victorian lace and heartfelt personal touches, including a tribute to her beloved dogs, came together to create a memorable bridal look.
Jennifer Winget's dreamy white wedding look wasn't just another celebrity bridal moment. It was the result of over 3,000 hours of craftsmanship, months of collaboration and a vision to blend Indian artistry with Western bridal elegance.
Designed by Karleo, a luxury couture and demi-couture fashion brand co-founded by Leon Vaz and Karan Berry, the couture gown featured intricate chikankari embroidery, Victorian lace and Kashmiri tilla work, while also carrying deeply personal details that made it one of Jennifer's most meaningful outfits yet.
In a conversation with Rishika Shah/Rediff, Designer Leon Vaz explains how they created the actress' unforgettable wedding dress.
'Jennifer wanted a gown that reflected both India and the West'
While Jennifer's bridal look appeared effortless, the design process was anything but simple.
"It was a true couture process," Vaz reveals. "The original concept focused on creating something timeless, romantic and deeply personal to her."
The team worked through multiple fittings, fine-tuning the silhouette, proportions and handcrafted embellishments until every detail felt just right.
Jennifer's brief was surprisingly straightforward.
"She wanted something that was both comfortable and truly defined both her worlds -- India and the West. So we decided to explore traditional Indian workmanship and fuse it with a modern white wedding sensibility."
A gown crafted over 3,000 hours
The breathtaking dress was brought to life by artisans across India, with craftsmanship becoming the hero of the design.
"Creating Jennifer's gown involved well over 3,000 hours of craftsmanship across various artisan clusters in India," Vaz shares.
The gown combined Lucknow's chikankari embroidery by Nandini Agarwal, Kashmiri tilla work by Kashmir Loom and delicate handmade Victorian lace, all carefully balanced despite their differing textures and weights.
"We collaborated with two Indian ateliers to ensure the crafts remained authentic. Since both techniques have very different visual qualities and weight, the Victorian lace helped create harmony throughout the gown."
The sweetest detail? Her beloved dogs made it to the wedding
Perhaps the most emotional element wasn't visible at first glance.
Jennifer wanted her beloved dogs, Oliver and Breezer, to be part of her wedding in a lasting way.
"She wanted their names on her ensemble so we embroidered them in silver on the veil alongside the couple's names and wedding date, creating their own personal wedding monogram."
It's a detail many fans may have missed but one that made the gown uniquely hers.
Why less was more
Although the designers experimented with more elaborate embellishments, they eventually chose restraint over excess.
"There were several ideas we explored during the design journey," he says. "But, ultimately, we wanted Jennifer to remain the focus and for the gown to feel timeless rather than trend-driven."
As the months-long process unfolded, additional layers of chikankari, handmade Victorian lace and handcrafted details were introduced carefully, ensuring the finished gown felt rich without overwhelming the bride.
Three atelier visits and two months later...
Jennifer's couture journey took around two months and included three in-person appointments with the Karleo team.
Unlike many international bridal projects that rely on remote consultations, Jennifer was able to attend every fitting alongside her stylist, Vinita Makhija.
"Usually we begin with a design meeting, followed by a mock fitting and then a final meeting before delivery. For Jennifer, we had the opportunity to do everything in person and both she and Vinita were wonderful throughout the process."
Will Jennifer's gown inspire future Karleo brides?
The designers believe the gown perfectly captures what the label stands for.
"Jennifer's gown embodied many of the values that define Karleo -- timeless elegance, exceptional craftsmanship and meaningful storytelling through design."
While every bridal creation is custom-made, he admits the success of Jennifer's look has strengthened their commitment to reimagining traditional Indian crafts for contemporary brides.
"We definitely see this influencing our future collections, especially our continued exploration of heritage Indian craftsmanship in a modern bridal context."
Photographs curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff
