The sari has turned into one of the most interesting garments for designers. There was a time when this six-yard wonder was completely ignored by the creators of fashion in India and now there are innovations galore that are taking place. Drapes are the most important aspect in a sari and that is where the innovations take place.
What used to cause a bit of confusion was the way to drape the sari. That has now been eliminated with the entry of the pre-stitched sari which has become very popular with women not only in India but also in the west. The next innovation is the mix of fabrics textures and designs that have come into this garment. No longer is it just one fabric that women want to wrap around their bodies. There are three to four different fabrics in textures and colours that are seen in one sari along with embroidery and prints to add to the glamour of this traditional attire.
The pallav too gets a new look as it is crushed at the shoulder and then allowed to flow down while the pleats or the kalis in the front could be of a different fabric and colour. The other very daring and interesting version of the sari is the sari gown which is almost like a western outfit but has all the drapes of the sari and the elegance of a long maxi.
The most amazing change in the way women will wear the sari is predicted by designers like Sabyasachi Mukherjee who has shortened his sari to knee length and Raakesh Aggarvwal and Anamika Khanna who want to replace the petticoat with churidars or trousers. Now that is what one can say is trying to reinvent the sari completely while traditional garments around the world have remained static in their designing; it is great to see that the sari is moving up the ladder of fashion and style with Indian designers creating magic.
