As restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic have been lifted in areas like Denver, many event industries are beginning to recover. For the wedding industry, many weddings that had to be put on hold can finally start to come together.
Wedding designers have experienced industry animosity firsthand. For Enaura Bridal, a brand that brings luxurious dresses to Denver through frequent trunk shows, the owner Sohil Mistry said “during COVID weddings were still happening via Zoom or online so brides were still getting dresses but now they have the option to have the wedding they wanted” before a global pandemic hit .
Enaura Bridal has been through the ups and downs of the pandemic and is starting to get back on track. “Since the outbreak of COVID, ‘bridal season’ has become a mix in each season being bridal season,” Sohil said.
Along with his wife Nayha Mistry, Sohil offers brides 100% handcrafted dresses. Sohil is the brand’s founder and creative director, while Nayha is the sales and marketing director.
“Each gown has an accumulation of up to 500 hours of meticulous handwork. It comes with 100% hand-beaded gowns and a perfectly made gown for her bride,” The Mistrys said.
Create the “perfect” dress
Sohil will ensure that the dress is completely acquired to each bride’s measurements, ending in a perfect fit. Enaura Bridal does not follow a size chart – this is something that is not part of their brand. They will take their own bridal measurements and walk out instead of using something simple and not as specific as other brands, “size 4” or “medium”.
Sohil and Nayha focus on every detail of their products to ensure their brides are happy and satisfied with their dresses. They focus on every detail, right down to their company name.
The name Enaura has a special meaning for Sohil and Nayha. En is a prefix meaning “within”, while aura is a subtle field of light radiation surrounding a person. “Designed to punctuate and enhance your distinctive beauty and aura,” said Soil.
Enaura Bridal organizes trunk shows around the world where The Mistrys receive the opportunity to meet their wives directly. During these events, brides can choose the perfect dress for their special day and get alterations, special accents or sentimental pieces that will make their dress their own.
Sohil noticed that in the bridal industry, there used to be a shortage of good quality dresses that are still affordable. He wanted to “create an affordable dress, with the same quality of expensive beadwork,” Sohil said. This vision is the foundation of Enaura Bridal.
Enaura Bridal prides itself on giving its customers the exact dream dress they would need for that important occasion.
Sohil’s experience in fashion design began with her parents, who were both designers. He had been quickly immersed in the fashion industry from birth.
Her parents were known for their pearls, as are Sohil’s designs now. Even before she was born, Sohil’s parents were designing bridal wear, as well as Indian clothing. They also embroidered for many different designers. At the time, designers approached Sohil’s parents and sold them a specific look.
Therefore, “Beading has been in my family for as long as I can remember,” Sohil said.
Sohil started his own fashion career right after graduating from Rutgers University in New Jersey, where he studied business. Constantly surrounded by his parents, creators, he was quickly intrigued and wanted to get involved. As soon as Sohil graduated, he returned to India to help his father in the factories. It was then that he fell in love with fashion, mainly in terms of beading and the work of artisans.
After seeing all the passion that was put into these pieces, Sohil wanted to take his own approach.
Since India has such amazing beadwork and the designer has a connection to the culture, that is where her dresses would be made. Therefore, all wedding dresses are given the special attention they deserve for their brides, as each dress is handcrafted in its factories in India.
Each dress has a special type of beading and everything can be changed for the bride. Alterations include additions of any designs or initials to make the dress more pleasing.
Shortly after college, Sohil went to India for about four months to learn how to design wedding dresses. “As a designer, it’s very important how they do the beading, otherwise you can’t design the dress,” he said.
He then went to the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and learned pattern making. It was basically how to make the garment.
After the period when Sohil focused on the art of beadwork, his first collection was launched in 2011. This collection included accessories sold by Blossom Veil. After the launch of this collection, The Mistry’s were shocked by the stunning response, leading them to start designing dresses as well.
We were one of the few companies designing incredibly intricate beaded sashes and veils at the time,” The Mistry’s said. It was their first step in getting their foot in the door of the industry.
In 2013, Enaura Bridal launched with a full collection of 20 dresses. Since the Mistry has already been created for Blossom Veil, “we were already well connected with the stores to put our new business and our new collection there,” they said.
Building a Trunk Show
Sohil and Nayha travel almost every weekend around the world to meet their wives at their Trunk Shows. This gives them the opportunity to get to know their brides and talk directly with the brides about the customizations.
Sohil and Nayha Mistry’s dresses can be found at Little White Dress in Denver. After all, their products are all handmade and not mass-produced.
As the two travel frequently, they are able to gain immense product knowledge and work closely with brides in the process.
Sohil and Nayha use a lot of textural inspiration. For example, they just visited the Taj Mahal and developed the inspiration for their pieces from the breathtaking architecture.
Inspiration can even come from a simple everyday landscape or aspects of everyday life. “I’m going to sit and look at a botanical flower book,” Sohil said.
Enaura Bridal is founded on creating dresses that are all different, ultimately adding personality to clients’ weddings.
As event industries advance and weddings happen more than ever, the demand for wedding dresses is exploding. It’s the perfect opportunity for brides from all over the world to meet their designer and add some special touches.
As for the future of Enaura Bridal, The Mistrys are currently working on a new bridal collection coming in April.
All photos courtesy of Jackson Davis.