While global fashion czar Alexander McQueen and French designer Jean Paul Gaultier have been adapting and reinterpreting the saree, the women heads of state and leaders’ spouses at the G20 dinner hosted by President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday evening draped themselves in the whole nine yards as it is meant to be. Murmu was seen in a beige saree with a contrasting turquoise border, punctuated with vibrant floral patterns, while Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, among the first to arrive, was dressed in a lilac Dhakai saree, with a pearl necklace. A Dhakai saree, also called Jamdani, is named after Dhaka, one of many ancient textile weaving centres. It even finds mention in Chanakya’s 'Arthashastra'. The craftsmen can take up to several months — and years — to prepare one saree, as each motif has to be inlaid into the fabric by adding denser threads to fine warp threads. In 2013, the traditional art of weaving jamdani was declared a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Mauritius PM Pravind Kumar Jugnauth's wife, Kobita, turned up in a light pink chikankari saree, with a dazzling deep blue blouse. UK PM Rishi Sunak's wife, Akshata Murty, once again showed her flair for fusion, in a bright, multi-coloured skirt and blouse that boasted of ethnic motifs. Arriving in Delhi on Friday, she had worn a crisp white shirt with a floral printed skirt. At the formal dinner, many guests looked regal in Banarasi sarees that had dipped into various tones of the colour palette that the weavers painstakingly recreate in the alleys of Varanasi on their looms. From the rich velvety feel to a gossamer finish, the sarees were made for the erstwhile royalty using genuine gold and tableware strings. Although silk was native to the area, the embellishment and craftsmanship came with the Mughal era in the 14th century. That’s how Banarasi sarees acquired their originality, with craftsmen decorating the fabric with zari embroidery, recreating Mughal-inspired designs and motifs such as intricate floral and foliate motifs, kalga and bel. While Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida wore a black suit with a royal blue tie, his wife Yuko Kishida arrived at the gala in a Banarasi. Her green drape had golden details with a pink satin blouse. World Bank president Ajay Banga’s wife, Ritu, sported a light grey Chanderi. Chanderi silk sarees were developed in the Madhya Pradesh town of Chanderi around the 13th century, keeping the tropical heat of Central India in mind. Lightweight, soft and gauzy in cotton or in combination of cotton with silk, their richness skirts the borders in silver or gold. In pastel hues, they are effortlessly elegant and swishy. Many others made a statement with other traditional attires, even though it wasn’t a saree. For instance, Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni arrived at the dinner in a black kurta set with a mauve stole. International Monetary Fund chief Kristaline Goergieva, who had made waves a day before while dancing to Sambalpuri folk tunes, on Saturday donned a dark mauve kurta, with aari embroidery, paired with a golden stole.
