Dubai-based fashion designer Anjali Khushalani and her client, Sana Sajan, were pleasantly surprised to see apparent similarities between their 2017 wedding gown and a dress by iconic Italian label Dolce & Gabbana, worn by Monica Belluci for a recent event in Florence.
“Anjali, my designer, brought my dream dress to reality … I wanted my blue gown to reflect the blue skies and the blue sea since we were getting married at sea atop a cruise liner,” said Sajan in an interview with Gulf News on November 16. Dolce & Gabbana has not implied that their dress is based on Khushalani’s creation.
In April 2017, Khan got married to UAE businessman and Danube founder Rizwan Sajan’s son Adel Sajan in a lavish ceremony atop a luxury cruise liner along with a galaxy of Bollywood stars in attendance. It was a four-day spectacle with multiple outfit changes by the bride and groom.
“Imagine seeing an icon like Monica Belluci wear a gown that was so similar to my ‘baraat’ gown … It’s an incredible feeling to know that my vision made a reality by my friend and designer Anjali can inspire the world,” said Sajan about the similarities between the dresses. She remembers when many guests at her wedding asked her if it was designed by Dolce & Gabbana, since it had floral applique and dreamy tulle.
UAE designer Khushalani, who founded the label Masala Chai Dubai, has no qualms about the comparisons.
“The world is now an open place and everything can be our inspiration. We are not a big brand to patent our designs, but it’s great to see a label like D&G create a similar design to ours … Dubai is now reaching out to the world and that’s always a matter of pride. The design is strikingly similar, barring a few changes,” said Khushalani.
The designer took over a month to design Sajan’s blue gown featuring 40 meters of tulle and handmade floral motifs.
On the official Twitter handle of Dolce & Gabbana, fashion icon and actress Belluci is seen featuring the blue tulle dress with a corset and a train.
