New York-based designers Sachin and Babi Ahluwalia are marking their return to bridal this season with the launch of their “RTC,” or “Ready-to-Celebrate,” collection.
The 2023 collection, which includes bridal gowns, a selection of “Little White” fashions and bridesmaid offerings across approximately 20 styles, is set to hit the New York Bridal Fashion Week runway on April 7 with Ken Downing as master of ceremonies.
“We are bringing our [ready-to-wear] experience and sensibility to bridal. We are consciously creating looks for every outing, event and destination for the bride, with price points that are more palatable to the sophisticated shopper. We created this new concept for today’s modern bride with their own demand and streaming lifestyles, eliminating the long lead times of receiving a dress and being more size-inclusive,” Sachin Ahluwalia told WWD. “We call it the ‘RTC’ concept, which is ‘ready to celebrate.’”
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“It’s pretty much turn-key, what we show is what we stock. We take a lot of the fuss away,” Babi Ahluwalia further explained, adding that looks from the collection will be available to purchase through their e-commerce.
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Like the duo’s rtw collections, RTC boasts a modern, sophisticated elan with designs crafted in luxe materials, offering a variety of styles for today’s bride, as well as a selection of fashions for the bridal party and mother of the bride.
For instance, a sleek column gown, “uber fashionable, easy sexy pieces,” within Little White, or various separates, like a crop top with embroidered crepe flowers over lace with wide-leg pants — versatility beyond the aisle was noted of importance for the collection.
Accessible pricing, too, is a key element for RTC — within the collection, which goes up to size 14 in select styles, gowns range from $950 to $1,500, “Little White” is priced from $395 to $500, and bridesmaids’ offerings start at $285.
“We recognize that priorities have shifted after the pandemic — today’s bride is much more individual as a result of exposure to fashion and lifestyle in different ways, including social media,” Ahluwalia said of their new approach. “The whole idea of traditional weddings — that bride will always have a place to find her gowns, but I think there’s so many in between. I think young women today are looking for something more experiential than anything else. To satisfy those experiences, you need a wardrobe and clothes that somehow meet that, whether she’s going to Tulum for a wedding or a small garden in New York City.”