Wonder Drapes

In India,though,it’s only recently that designers are experimenting with the classic garment,giving it makeovers that vary from a sari gown to jumpsuit-saris to what designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee calls the “chhotu sari”. Design house Satya Paul was among the first to come up with trouser saris in 2007. For his show in Los Angeles to introduce his spring-summer 2009 collection,Ravi Bajaj did a series of poncho saris,while at the Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) last season Mukherjee introduced his ankle-length,ruched saris inspired by the way tribal women in India drape their saris. Several others like Tarun Tahiliani,Varun Bahl and Gaurav Gupta have also worked their own ideas into the ensemble in their recent collections.

At the recent Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW),young designer Nida Mahmood had her models do the catwalk dressed in sneakers and jeans,with a sari draped on top of it. The net fabric of the sari was just perfect to get a glimpse of the jeans,and the sari was worn high enough for the funky sneakers to be seen. “I wanted to bring out the Indian element in a modern context. If you think a traditional sari is not your thing,then there are a thousand different ways you can contemporise it. It’s not necessary to stick to the traditional way,” says Mahmood.

Designer Anamika Khanna’s spring-summer 2010 collection also has saris,but they come draped over laid-back pyjamas,which act as petticoats. “I have worked in such a way that my collection combines a strong Indian element with contemporary silhouettes. So,the mood is eclectic and edgy. The woman for whom it is meant has a deep respect for the crafts,but otherwise is nonchalant in her treatment of expensive things,” she says. Designers like Tarun Tahiliani,who have devised sari gowns,say that these innovations add to the beauty of the established silhouettes. “What I usually do is take drapes and use them in unusual ways. It only enhances the look of an ensemble,” he said at the end of his showing at WIFW.

If jeans and pyjamas have become kitschy alternatives to the modest petticoat,some designers have worked to change the entire texture of the sari. Designer Wendell Rodricks,for instance,made his showstopper at the WIFW walk in a gorgeous red sari-gown — an elaborate one-piece affair with a built-in choli and a draped bodice,complete with a pallu. “It’s perfect for even international red-carpet affairs because it retains the flair of the traditional garment and combines with an international silhouette. Since it’s a one-piece affair,it’s easy to slip it on as well,” he says.

Purists,though,are yet to be convinced that these innovations will last. Says Ahmedabad-based designer Anuradha Vakil: “Improvisation helps attract a cross-section of the clientele,because there are people who will probably never go for a sari otherwise. But I’ll reserve my opinion about the longevity of these designs. I have a feeling it’s only the original form which will endure.” For now though,look out for an edgy new drape.