SPOTLIGHT | Down the Aisle in Style with Karleo

Written by Hina Siddiqui, transmedia storyteller, cat+plant parent, and cuddle connoisseur who writes comics, games and newsletters; in collaboration with Karan Berry, co-founder of  Karleo Atelier

Karan Berry and Leon Vaz, founders of Karleo Fashion with one of their brides. (Image Courtesy: Karleo)

It’s been a while since I have done one of these, but let me try and set the scene. 

Imagine one of those fancy SoBo apartments, if you will. 

It’s a party. It’s loud. The booze is flowing. Polite chatter in multiple languages and accents fills the air.

People are leveling up on schmooze all around while you surreptitiously follow the waiter serving the hors d'oeuvres; and miss him, for the seventh time. Dejected, you return to the swing set out on the balcony, where the smokers (of course) gather. 

And just as you are about to sit, you become so distracted by the fabric of someone’s outfit that you whump your head on the awning. 
That is how I met Leon Vaz, one of the founders of Karleo, a bridalwear, couture and demi-couture design studio based in Mumbai and Goa. Who then went on to immediately introduce this new-found klutz (me) to his partner and co-founder; Karan Berry, whose sherwani-over-trousers-jewelry-pouch-repurposed-as-a-pocket-square look knocked my aesthetic sense for yet another six. 
And people say I am not good at networking. 

Karan & Leon as I met them . (Image Courtesy: Karleo)

Probably Relevant Side Note: This was a queer party. There was no shortage of well-dressed human perfection in the area. Moreover, I am not particularly fashion-forward, by which I mean that I would wear boxers and a camisole for all things, always (Shoes optional. Weather permitting). But something about the way these two were dressed, just drew me in.

The rest, of course, is history.  Also, just look at them!

Karleo was born in 2012, out of Karan and Leon’s passion for designing and creating something new. Designers who specialize in white wedding gowns have always been rare in India. That was the need Karan and Leon wanted to address, in a specifically Indian context.

And they did so by delivering authentic design experiences for those walking down the aisle. Even the name, Karleo, a simple amalgamation of their first names, is testament to how simple and personal Karan and Leon wanted to keep things at their studio. 

Both men were driven by design from the very beginning, arriving at it from different perspectives. Karan sees design as an overarching narrative of aesthetics and sensibilities - that can be applied to anything and everything around you. Leon, on the other hand, is all about the construction and manipulation of garments. Even though he has studied media communication, he comes equipped with arcane knowledge of things like couture dressmaking and corset-making. Their partnership is thus an infusion of their distinct processes, Karan’s eclecticism and Leon’s classic chic viewpoint. 

But at the core of what they do is centering the feelings of the person being designed for -the bride. Karleo doesn’t run out of a big store with a massive facade. But an intimate space where the bride can feel welcome and comfortable. Their design philosophy is very straightforward. Karleo is here to cater to the bride. 

Almost ready to walk down the aisle: One of Karleo's custom wedding gown. The backbone of Karleo. 

Whether it’s someone who has collected different ideas in a scrapbook since they were a child or someone who has put together a pinterest board in the past 5 days, the idea is to take the bride’s vision and put it together aesthetically, never overshadowing her desires, no matter what they are. I was told of one bride who wanted the entire journey of her love with her partner documented on her wedding gown. So Karleo did an A-line ball gown, embroidered with cityscapes - Bombay for where they met, Singapore where they first moved to, then Dubai and finally back to Bombay. 

Then of course, there is the legacy of family and stories told across generations.

“A lot of our brides come with heirloom pieces from their grandmother’s wedding gown or lace that their mom used for the veil. And we incorporate those pieces in, because there they have so much sentimental value and our designs can never deflect from that,” explains Karan. 

It’s also interesting to see the two men commit to working on white wedding gowns against the vibrant colourscapes of India. 

“When you see the color palette for white, there are more than 50 shades. Every gown stands out differently - the textures, the embellishment, the fabric manipulation techniques… It’s fun and it’s challenging and each piece we create is custom.”

The many Ways of White in Karleo’s Wedding Gowns

Probably Relevant Side Note: 

I can be a massive nerd about the history of crafting things and learning that Leon has a skill like corset-making sent me down the rabbit hole again. And here are some fun things I discovered:

1. European dresses and gowns were inspired by Japanese kimonos

2. The sewing pattern industry dates back to the early 1800’s

3. Significant efforts are being made across continents to resurrect an extinct species of cotton so that we can have Dhaka muslin again, a very expensive fabric with a thread count of 1200   

Anyway, back to the main story. 

From the crafting and creation perspective, one of the coolest things I discovered about Karleo during our exchange for this article is how they look at waste within their work.

“First we try to make sure waste is as minimal as possible. We use leftover fabric in foundation work, making samples and mocks,” Karan tells me. 

Karleo also partners with small home businesses and local NGOs that collect tulle and leftover fabric to use as stuffing for dolls and to make charms, key-chains and knick-knacks. During the lockdowns of 2020, Karleo ran a campaign called The Mask of Humanity. This involved collecting fabric from different vendors and from their own atelier to make masks for the employees and various departments of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. 

One of my personal dreams has been running a business or creative venture with a partner. So I was taking close notes when Karan and Leon spoke about the challenges of running a business together. The key, they said, was a clear division of labour. What they handle individually and together within the organization and outside of it has been clearly articulated and agreed to. Which eliminates most of the conflict… but not all of it. 

“Yes, we do fight. Because sometimes, I forget something, which is most of the time. And then we fall short of time to do it,” admits Karan, rather charmingly. But then goes on to add that this is part and parcel of running a business and being partners. Without these arguments and discussions, the whole endevour just wouldn’t be worth it for them.

But Karleo doesn’t just depend on Karan and Leon for its success. “All our pattern masters, our seamstresses, our embroiderers; people who have been working with us for years - they are all the backbone of Karleo.” Just like the founders upgrade their skills and knowledge, so too do they look into the development of their team. And ideas, concepts and processes are shared with everyone in the organization - enabling everyone to grow.

This generosity has taken Karleo from wedding gowns, to their own bespoke couture collections and even an accessories collection comprising easy-to-wear headbands, elegant hair combs, dramatic headpieces, and delicate earrings.

The backbone of Karleo Fashion

I’ve always said that writing these spotlight articles is my way of building a compendium of contemporary adulting for us all. Fashion and me have always had a tenuous relationship at best - being a large-bodied, gender fluid human will do that to you. But learning more about Karan and Leon, their atelier, brand and process shows me that fashion can be inclusive and person-centric. Not just for the people wearing Karleo’s beautiful wedding gowns and couture garments, but even for those making them.  

So if you are looking a gown, for your wedding or otherwise, that is made with kindness and care for your story, reach out to Karleo Fashion and let those couture fantasies take flight.