11 New Ways to Wear Saree:
It was the season of the reinvented sari. At Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW) A/W 2013 last week, designers from Masaba Gupta to Shivan & Narresh and Arjun Saluja played with the classic ethnic drape, creating new avatars that cut across all age groups.
Even more established designers like Tarun Tahiliani and Manish Malhotra showed off their own versions of the 2013 sari.
- Manish Malhotra: He already popularized the sheer net sari, and this time, the designer layered the black garment over a red metallic ghagra. The resulting contrast of translucence and metallic shine created a rather sensual combo.
- Abraham & Thakore: Working with Banarasi weavers from local sari label Ekaya, the designer duo created a short sari dress, worn close to the body and over a pair of cigarette pants. Perfect for those who find the sari’s voluminous layers unmanageable.
- Masaba Gupta for Satya Paul: Imagine wearing the sari over palazzo pants held up by suspenders. That’s exactly what the new fashion director of the designer sari label introduced for a younger Satya Paul fan, and we’re keen to see this one hit the party circuit.
- Tarun Tahiliani: At his Autumn/Winter ’13-14 showcase, the designer introduced a drape so precise, it felt pre-constructed. Worn with dhoti pants and his signature embroidered gilet, the sari ended mid-thigh with a long pallu almost trailing the floor.
- Anju Modi: One of the most surprising shows of the season, Modi paired military-style jackets and trench coats with elegant saris. Decorated epaulets on her jackets helped secure the pallu crisply in place.
- Anupamaa by Anupama Dayal: She calls it the sarini -- a shorter drape worn over the briefest of shorts. This time crafted in a graphic monochrome pattern, the strict criteria for sarini wearers are toned thighs and abs.
- Dev R Nil: Known for their quirky prints, Dev R Nil also showed off a interesting styling technique by pairing their teal sari with a rose patterned bolero instead of a traditional choli. The final touch -- twirling the pallu around the neck as a scarf, useful for those unpredictable Indian winters.
- Kiran Uttam Ghosh: Polo necks and saris seem an unlikely combination, but Ghosh didn’t let that stop her from teaming a red pleated sari with a grey polo neck choli, secured with a belt. To top that, she completed the transformation with a pleated gold skirt instead of a traditional ghagra.
- Payal Pratap: Last season, Payal teamed saris with gilets and peplum cholis. This season, a rose-patterned drape is worn under a long choli and modernized with a velvet bandhgala.
- Shantanu & Nikhil: The sari took on a distinct 20s vibe, a Lycra drape paired with tights and worn with a turban all in the same silvery shade.
- Shivan & Narresh: They’ve laid claim to the bikini sari, and this time, it was paired with a one-shoulder sleeve attached to the bikini to give it a more modest look.
