Dr Tanaya Narendra, popularly known as Dr Cuterus on Instagram, is a physician and embryologist. She uses her Instagram page to stir conversations around health and sexuality, fertility-related information, busting sex myths, and awareness regarding reproductive health and menstruation with her 450k+ followers.
Dr Tanaya recently got married, and shared her experience on Instagram. She wrote about how she first approached designer Tarun Tahiliani's store at Ambawatta, New Delhi and felt "unwelcome, body shamed, and unfairly treated" because of being a heavier-than usual bride.
Dr Tanaya had first called out the designer in the caption of her wedding pictures. She praised designer Anita Dongre and her team for their consideration and speedy service, and how welcomed she felt there. She went on to write, "There is SO much pressure on people to lose weight before their wedding - I had that too. Bridal stores would body shame (looking at you, Ambawatta @taruntahiliani {yeah, that was a massive shame, because I’d wanted to wear a Tarun T to my wedding since I was 12. Never going there again."
Check out her full post here:
Soon after her call out, the designer's Instagram page put out a story that talked about how the store at Ambawatta could not service her because of "limited stock". The statement also mentions that the team reached out to Dr Tanaya to discuss the issue and understand her perspective, but they did not hear back from her.
The statement also reads, "For a label that has always celebrated the beauty that steams from diversity and inclusivity in all its forms, it is deeply saddening for my team to hear what is being said."
Dr Tanaya has given her own response on her Instagram story to this statement from Tarun Tahiliani. She mentions that she reached out to them via email before going to the store since and notified them about her size and how fitting might be a concern because of it. She was not notified of any stock-related issues at that point.
Contrary to Tahiliani's statement where the time and limited stock were an issue, Dr Tanaya reiterates that for her, the way in which she was treated was the main problem, which was specific to the Ambwatta store, since she didn't face the same issue at the DLF store.
She talked about how the salesperson looked at her in bewilderment because of her size which made her feel like she was unmarriageable. She felt that because of her size, there was a general disinterest in showing her around, alongside subtle suggestions that would help her look "more in shape".
She also mentioned that her aim was to highlight the body shaming that brides in India face, and she did not mean to shame a particular brand. She further says that the apology and statement made by Tahiliani's team were problematic in the way they managed to put the blame back on her instead of acknowledging an error on their end.
She adds that she hopes to create a cultural shift in the way brands deal with diversity, and how every bride is made to feel special irrespective of her size.
She ends her statement with, "That's all I want. Basic respect and dignity, even as a larger bodied person. No unnecessary comments on how some outfits "will make me look more in shape". I am a shape, damnit".
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