Pagoda Street in Plaine Verte is a shopper?s paradise. Wherever you turn in this narrow, busy thoroughfare in the northern part of Port Louis which has an atmosphere all of its own, you see shops full to overflowing with everything a woman could wish for?.And what is more, nearly all the shops on this street are managed entirely by women! Material for dress-making, ready-made clothes, shoes, jewelry, children?s clothes ?the list is endless? One or two of these establishments however specialise in wedding dresses and accessories. Best Peerun Collection is among them.

This little shop, set up to sell prêt-à-porter in 1987 at the time of the economic boom, dresses both the bride and her guests. It is full of colourful churidars, short kurtas and shararas [a full-length skirt worn with a matching or contrasting tunic and a ?horni?, the long scarf which is an essential part of a Muslim woman?s dress. The display is dominated by a magnificent ivory wedding gown, heavy with embroidery and encrusted with brilliants.This is a gharara.The skirt is cut in a full circle and the horni is wide enough to cover the head and shoulders like a veil. Nazleen, the owner of the shop, explains that the different parts of the dress ?skirt, sleeves and so on ? are imported, ready-embroidered, from India, but that the finished garment is carefully made up by her dressmaker according to the measurements of the bride-to-be, thus ensuring a perfect fit.

There are plenty of elegant outfits here for people attending wedding celebrations, which would ? I thought ? extend over three days. But Nazleen explains that things have really changed. ?Few people follow this tradition nowadays. Most Muslim weddings now last one day only.On the day of the wedding, the families give a reception and that is all.? No more red dresses for the evening of the mehendi? There may be a little bit of nostalgia in Nazleen?s voice when she speaks of those disappearing traditions but she quickly comes back to earth. ?People must have realised that so much celebration was a waste of money. Lifestyles have changed. They used to have a three-day wedding but now few people have the time to be in attendance everyday so it?s not worth it.?

But brides continue to wear these majestic ghararas on their wedding day. Most of them choose white, ivory or gold, and in this they follow tradition. Nazleen can provide made-to-measure wedding dresses created by top designers- and 48 hours is time enough for her to make the dress of your dreams! Prices vary between Rs 4,000 and 10,000 with more expensive models reaching the 12,000 mark.