June 22: The most famous designer in India, Sabyasachi Mukherjee, who is also arguably the world’s most influential creator of wedding wear, will debut his first store in the United States, in New York City, this Fall. His company earned $39.2 million in revenue, in 2019.

Over the past five years, he has outfitted brides and grooms for all of the biggest Bollywood weddings, reported The New York Times: Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas; Anushka Sharma and the cricket star Virat Kohli; Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh; Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor. He also dressed Isha Ambani, the daughter of India’s richest man, for her wedding festivities, during which Bollywood stars served food and Beyoncé performed.

Sabyasachi will design an exclusive New York collection that was a little more Western.

“He began visualizing his customers, channeling characters he would dress: “When you’re going through divorce or when you’re going on your first date or when you want to go on a power trip, what is it that you would like to wear?” The American line would be available only in New York; an Indian who wanted it would have to travel or send a friend. He swiped through the initial designs — evening gowns with embroidered Indian borders and brocade coats, everything in a palette of mustard, black and brown, inspired by the Bengal tiger. It was a departure from the colorful, crafted saris and lehengas (traditional full skirts worn with cropped tops) that made him famous. It was also a big bet. He had a 15-year lease.”: ‘The Man Who Made the Sari Haute’ (gift article).

The big question is: will America’s rich take to Indian clothes, especially a sari, at the risk of being mocked for cultural appropriation? Only time will tell.

Also, the timing of Sabyasachi’s store is going to likely collide with looming recession around the corner. If his aim was to capture the imagination of America’s middle class too, it couldn’t have come at a worse time.