- Bride Ana accused designer Nikhil Gajare of blocking her after unpaid, incomplete wedding outfits
- Ana's viral videos detailed delayed communication and unfinished custom wedding attire
- Gajare publicly acknowledged issues and apologized, citing business growth challenges
Just days after Pune-based designer Nikhil Gajare made headlines for designing influencer Rida Tharana's Cannes 2026 gown, a bride-to-be has gone viral with allegations against the young couturier, claiming she was blocked after paying for custom wedding outfits that she says were never properly delivered.
The bride, Ana, who posts under the username @anaghaxnair, shared two videos detailing what she described as a months-long ordeal involving delayed communication, unfinished outfits, and eventually being blocked by the designer.
"I'm a 2026 bride, and I got scammed and blocked by my designer," she said in her first viral reel. That video has more than 1 million views.
The video quickly gained traction online, especially because it surfaced at the same time Gajare was receiving widespread praise for dressing Rida Tharana at the Cannes Film Festival this year.
The Viral Videos
Ana's first post opened on a visibly emotional note.
"I hate that I have to post this because no bride wants to talk about their wedding outfits before they even get to wear them," she wrote.
She also claimed that the designer had blocked her, adding that he would not even be able to see the reels she was posting about the experience.
In the video, she shared alleged before-and-after images of the outfit concept versus what she claims she eventually received from the designer. According to her, the final product looked nothing like the original vision they had discussed.
What Exactly Happened
In a second detailed video uploaded yesterday, Ana explained how she first discovered Gajare through Instagram after seeing one of his designs in November.
According to her, the two got on a call and finalised a custom look consisting of "a silver corset, a short pink skirt with hand embroidery, and a long blue-and-green skirt with a thigh slit."
"I even drew sketches to solidify the vision," she said.
But after paying the deposit, Ana alleged that the communication started becoming confusing.
"He started asking really strange questions. Like, did I want one skirt or two? Was it a long skirt or a short skirt? Did I want a pink skirt or a blue skirt? It was clear he didn't care about the project."
She said she eventually created a three-page outfit brief explaining every detail of the look she wanted.
"I gave him the project in November. The deadline was March. He only started working on the outfits in March."
According to Ana, the rushed timeline affected the final outcome.
"When I explained I was dissatisfied with the outcome because everything was rushed, incomplete, and sloppy, nothing like the inspiration pictures, he refused to propose a solution," she alleged.
She further claimed that the designer told her she would have to pay the remaining amount even if she only wanted one corset from the order.
"When I told him this was unreasonable, he blocked me. So my money is gone."
How The Designer Responded
Following the backlash online, Nikhil Gajare issued a public response.
"We sincerely acknowledge your dissatisfaction with your experience and take full accountability for the concerns raised regarding our product, communication, and overall service," Nikhil commented on the video, after the video went viral.
"As a growing business, we are continuously working towards improving our processes to ensure better clarity, responsiveness, and client satisfaction moving forward."
Ana's story on her Instagram
In another comment responding to Ana's allegations, the designer wrote:
"We apologise for your experience with us. And as a growing boutique business, we shall learn from this experience with you and a few such experiences of us with other clients."
He also claimed his team had attempted to "settle on a middle ground" but said both sides were unable to reach a resolution.
Later, Ana also shared screenshots of an alleged message from Gajare in which he expressed concern over the public fallout.
"I think the way this has blown out of proportion on the internet is unfair to me and my team," the message read.
"What you have done has stained the business forever."
The message further stated that the brand had offered to remake the corset, but claimed Ana "had not shown interest".
Other Customers Shared Similar Experiences
As the videos spread across Instagram, several users flooded the comments section with stories they claimed were similar to Ana's experience. Others took his side.
One former intern, who identified herself as a fashion design student from NIFT Delhi, alleged that she and another intern had draped and constructed the golden outfit worn by Rida Tharana, but never received proper credit for the work.
"I alone made the entire skirt which was also my idea and we stitched it together," the comment read.
The former intern also alleged that she struggled to receive photographs for her portfolio and even had to create her own internship certificate before getting it signed.
Another customer claimed she too had been blocked after raising concerns over a custom outfit.
"The dress came in bad quality and was falling apart," the comment stated.
The customer alleged that measurements and design instructions were ignored, shipping issues were mishandled, and requests for repairs or refunds were dismissed.
"After I finally received the dress... the sewing was coming off. And he refused to fix it, asked me to fix it myself. And when I asked for a refund, he blocked me."
Several shorter comments simply read: "Same happened to me by the same designer."
Who Is Nikhil Gajare?
The controversy comes at a time when Nikhil Gajare's rise in the fashion industry has been attracting significant attention online.
The 22-year-old self-taught corset designer from Solapur reportedly dropped out of BITS Pilani Hyderabad Campus in 2025 to pursue fashion full-time. Beginning with just Rs 2,000 and a sewing machine, he built an independent studio in Pune and amassed a large Instagram following within a year.
His designs, often inspired by Victorian corsetry adapted for Indian silhouettes, have been worn by celebrities and influencers, including Bhumi Pednekar and Rida Tharana.
This year, he gained wider recognition after designing Rida Tharana's Cannes Film Festival debut gown, a white pearl-adorned couture piece inspired by the river Ganga. The look was praised online for its delicate detailing and marked the designer's first appearance on the Cannes red carpet stage.
But amid the glamour and viral praise, Ana's allegations have now sparked a larger conversation online about influencer-driven fashion businesses, customer accountability, and whether social media popularity always reflects client experience.
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