Designer dreams

Strap: Tanvi Puri Kalra is living her passion of making weddings a dreamy affair through her designs

Though very fond of interplay of colour and design since her childhood days, Tanvi Puri Kalra, a Ludhiana girl, went in for a very safe profession of being an investment banker after completing her economics honors from University College London. Very soon she realised that this was not her cup of tea and a coffee table conversation triggered off her journey of design and décor.

As a teenager, she was overly concerned with the display of every event even if it was a simple birthday party at home. What was a hobby led to a curious learning and it became a passion in a couple of months. “Very soon the dreams translated into reality through design and décor for weddings and events. And I realised that this is what I want to do all my life,” says Tanvi, on a serious note. It has been four years in this line and there has been no looking back since then. Initially she worked for Ferns and Petals to get a first-hand experience and then Tanvi &Co was launched. Till date her company has designed over 200 weddings. Interestingly, she works freelance and has a team to coordinate. She adds, “Since I have started on this journey, I see a paradigm shift from clients who now perforce take young girls and women more seriously when they realise how dedicatedly they take their work.”

Very recently she has designed for a wedding in Jaipur where the photographer was a woman named Akriti and the event managers were a duo, Mallika and Tulika. No doubt it is a 24/7 job at times for it involves lot of meetings with clients and then total supervision till the event gets over.

Tanvi’s company also tries to get the help of the local ladies, especially for giving the fine touch. “Once you start working, the gender issue is not there in your mind at all. Initially some clients did bring it up but they realized how serious I am about my work,” quips Tanvi. With the popularity of social media, the level of competition has increased but it also proves to be a platform where your work gets noticed. Tanvi feels these days, besides the elders in a family, even the bride takes special interest in decor and gives ideas for her special day.

Providing décor and design solutions, conceptualization and styling for photo shoots and brands require a lot of innovation on a daily basis and for this there has to be a constant upgradation. Weddings in India have become a grand affair with modern and traditional trimmings. Destination weddings too have become very popular and designing for them is even more challenging but exciting and interesting. Doing all this, Tanvi’s journey continues.

POONAM BINDRA