Tarun Tahiliani denies 'body-shaming' accusations; designer's statement upsets influencer

Designers might come up with the most expensive outfits for brides, but do they have terms and conditions apply before anyone wanting to wear it? A similar issue was raised recently by a doctor-influencer's post on bridal stores allegedly body-shaming plus-sized women and it is going viral on social media. And one of the designers accused of it, Tarun Tahiliani, released a statement responding to the woman's accusations.

Doctor accuses bridal stores, designers of body-shaming brides

Dr. Tanaya Narendra, also an Instagram influencer, spoke about the pressure of losing weight on brides. Right from friends asking her why she was not dieting to those sending her slimming teas, she too faced it.

She alleged that the Tarun Tahiliani store at Amabawatta, Delhi was a 'massive shame' as her wish to wear his design since she was 12 came down crumbling with bridal store employees 'body-shaming' the bride.

Tanaya instead praised designer Anita Dongre for stepping up and making a 'beautifully fitting, and genuinely lovely lehenga,' in three weeks' time.  She added that she was flooded with comments about her “double chin” and “belly showing in the lehenga”. However, Dr. Tanaya wrote that those comments did not matter to her as her happiness, as seen in the pictures, and the love from her dear and near ones was all that was important for her. 

Soon after the influencer's accusations, designer Tarun Tahiliani released a statement on the controversy, highlighting the brand to be one that 'dressed countless brides of all ethnicities, body types and nationalities' for 25 years. He stated that the incident that took place on June 18 had 'deeply disturbed' them. Calling themselves as a brand that looked at individuals 'beyond their shape and size', he stated that the allegations were of 'grave concern' for them. 

Seeking a 'short while to investigate the matter thoroughly', he reiterated that the brand champions 'inclusivity and diversity at every step'. In another statement, he wrote that shaming was not a word in their dictionary. He stated that the store did not have the size that Dr Tanaya wanted due to the limited stock and it was not possible for them to replicate a couture piece in three weeks due to the 'exceptional quality standards' they had set themselves for.

Tahiliani then wrote that instead of misleading a customer on how long it was going to take to replicate the outfit, they chose to inform that it was not possible to get it in the required time. He said that this could not be called as 'body shaming.'

Tahiliani, however, stated that if the communication of stock availability and timelines needed for customisation had made the clients feel 'even the slightest not welcome', they were 'truly sorry' because that was not the 'intent.' He added that they contacted Dr Tanaya through  Instagram, but she was yet to reply.  

Dr Tanaya, however, replied to their post on her Instagram stories. She claimed that the lack of availability of her size or the time constraint was not mentioned to her when she visited the store. She stated that their message about lack of reply on DM, was not correct since had first communicated with them on email, and hence they had her email details. She called their statement a 'complete disregard' of her experience, without hearing her side. 

She even accused them of violating her privacy by mentioning her size. 

She also stated that she felt unwelcome because of the manner the salesperson spoke to her, asking her questions like 'oh, you're getting married', as if she was 'unmarriageable', the 'general disinterest' in showing her around and suggesting her outfits that will make her look 'more in shape.' She also wrote that she was not doing brand blaming, as she had mentioned about her experience at only one store, and her post was about the general body-shaming that plus-sized brides go through.

Tanaya concluded her statement by saying that a representative called her and apologised, and she has asked Tarun Tahiliani to take down their statement for not hearing her side of the story and putting the 'blame' back on her. She hoped for a 'cultural shift' at an enterprise level without placating statements about size inclusivity and diversity.