The sari is dead. Long live the sari

Hashtag activism, new interpretations, avant-garde styling, unusual drapes – the sari is saving itself one yard at a time.
In 2011 Anavila Misra burst into the sari scene with her line of linen saris. Sari puritans scoff at the modern interpretations but they are not stopping. You have the denim saris by Aalayxir and Anubha Jain, the bikini saris by Shivan & Narresh, saris worn with obi belts, boots, shirts, jeans and boxy blouses.Sari gowns, stitched-up saris, the Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla double pallu sari. The sari is in a state of rethink. And designers are willing to go the whole six yards, if not nine.
Sorry, not Sari
When celebrity fashion bloggers Priyanka Prasad and Payal Parija started out, the red carpet culture was just coming into India. With it came the international brands or Indian ones that aped the western red carpet vibe. Result: the sari stopped being a red carpet staple. Prasad says, “It isn’t as much as the sari losing its cool as it is the need to fit in to a broader, more global idea of glamour.” The modern interpretations bridge that gap.
In fact, the new sari styles creates a whole new audience for it. Fashion editor Sujata Assomull says, “Most young girls may start with a concept sari due to its convenience, but they soon realize there is nothing like the real thing. The concept sari in some way helps keep the traditional sari alive.”
Designs on the drape
Fashion columnist Namrata Zakaria celebrates the modern narratives of the sari – the Grecian drape (designed by Tarun Tahiliani, Gaurav Gupta and Monisha Jaising), or the caped saris (designed by Anamika Khanna), or even the sari sleeve on the gown (by Wendell Rodricks) or sari tail. She says, “Traditional saris have obviously been fancied by more mature women. It doesn’t mean they are not preferred, it’s just for a different audience. But designers are bridging the gap between handloom and contemporary.”
Designers like Rta Kapur Chisti, Anavila, Sanjay Garg and Payal Khandwala innovate saris on the loom, creating interesting and alternative draping techniques. Fashion commentator Prasad Bidapa says, “Modern young Indian women must discover the pleasures of a floating Kota Doria. Maybe they could lose the petticoat and the choli could become as brief as a Pirelli bikini top, or a leather corset. Modernity can be achieved in small, surprising ways.”
Zakaria agrees. “The sari has different languages and must be allowed to speak in all of them.” It’s not time to hang up that sari, just yet.
Saving the sari, one hashtag at a time
- #IWearHandloom. Smriti Irani started it to promote handlooms
- #100sareepact. Promotes sari swag
- #SareeNotSorry. An Indian-American professor started it to fight racist stereotypes
- #Indiasareechallenge. Devditi – a ‘save the sari’ drive set up a flash mob