Sari Reinvention: Art

“Now that Dida had thrown a burgundy brocade over her, Sonali shook her head critically; then impulsively she grabbed another item from the pile on the bed. It was a sari of iridescent silk, apricot warp threads intertwined with a beautiful salmon-pink weft, a galaxy of tiny gold and silver stars unfolding in iridescent colors. An auroral sky that still shimmered with the glitter of the night stars. Throwing the cloth over her shoulders, the girl walked over to her grandmother’s dressing table: a massive piece of furniture with a three-leaf cut-crystal mirror. Through the reflection of light in the mirror, the protagonist of the novel by Selina Saint The mirror turns green in spring (2007) is the perfect embodiment of atavistic, everyday and at the same time extraordinary elegance. In the Indian subcontinent, women of all walks of life have worn saris for thousands of years. A tradition passed down from generation to generation, like the clothing itself: precious silk wedding saris (preserved in mothballs) are part of the dowry, which always includes sometimes frilly jewelry.

“The bride-to-be entered the ballroom of the hotel where the ceremony was taking place, and the chatter among the three hundred or so guests ceased, giving way to praises of her beauty.” writes Kavita Daswani in Marriage resolutions

(2003) – “She wore a pale lavender sari made from real Chantilly lace (at least everyone said so), trimmed with silver threads. It was custom-made, like all items of Mira’s very rich dowry, by one of India’s most famous stylists. There were rumors that Mira’s parents spent more on one sari than most people spend on a wedding.” The sari, approximately eight meters long (four to nine) and one meter wide, is a change of garment worn over a short bodice (“choli”) with various drapes, like the material itself of this long strip of unsewn fabric, strict or formal. bold, painted in pastel or bright colors (white is traditionally considered the state of widowhood), decorated with printed designs and embroideries in different styles. Pierre Loti in India (excluding British)In a book published in 1903, while wandering around Hyderabad, he observes “artisans who print on light fabrics, transparent as fog, the smallest silver and gold designs on a pink, green or yellow background, insignificant designs that can fade from one drops of rain, but of such delightful craftsmanship that even the most disgusting fabric, thanks to such craftsmanship, looks like an enchanted fairy veil. The saree is definitely a versatile garment, “liquid” as seen in the exhibition. fancy sari (Unusual Sari), curated by Priya Khanchandani at the Design Museum London (until 17 September). “The saree is undergoing perhaps the fastest reinvention in its 5,000 year history.” says the curator. “For me and for many others, the sari has personal and cultural significance, but it is also a rich and dynamic canvas for innovation that embraces the vitality and eclecticism of Indian culture.” For new generations, creative inspiration comes from balance and harmony: stylists such as Raw Mango, Akaaro (a fashion house founded by Gaurav Jai Gupta), Abraham & Takore and NorBlackNorWhite create shapes that accompany the female body in the freedom to be itself. the combination of freshness and lightness of cut with a precise study of detail, the result of a very refined craftsmanship, as can be seen in the exhibition itinerary.

Transformations is the first leg of this fascinating journey through 60 pieces, including some iconic ones such as the replica laminated knit sari that Tarun Tahiliani made in 2010 for Lady Gaga, or the red sari worn by Deepika Padukone at the Cannes Film Festival. 2022 rug designed by Indian haute couture pioneers Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla. Then it went down in history as the first saree at the Met Gala – the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Worn in 2022 by Indian entrepreneur Natasha Punawalla, this piece was designed by Sabyasachi in printed tulle with a train, semi-precious stones and velvet appliqués. Handmade metal bustier armor designed by Daniel Roseberry, Artistic Director of Maison Schiaparelli.

Experimentation with innovative designs and materials goes hand in hand with unconventional solutions where the sari becomes a powerful expression of a message that transcends fashion, whether it’s for big nights like Rimzim Dadu’s “sculptural” stainless steel saris. wires. As for more commercial products, the purple polyester chiffon worn by 46-year-old Orbie Roy (a.k.a. Aunty Skates) in a 2021 video that went viral on TikTok is exemplary when she skateboards with her kids, subverting gender stereotypes. .

Among the brands most committed to this trend, Huemn (founded in 2012 by Pranav Misra and Shima Shetty) promotes young and dynamic fashion in the name of sustainability and inclusiveness. From New Delhi to Bangalore, from Chennai to Kolkata, from Ahmedabad to Mumbai, the sari is also a tool for asserting identity, protest and resistance, as highlighted in fancy sari

section “Identity and Resistance”, after “Transformations” and before “New Materialities”. In fact, outside of the catwalks, the sari has often become a symbol of protest, as in 2017 when it was worn by Tamil Nadu farmers during protests to also reflect on the status of women and their role in the rural economy, or in 2022 with the mobilization ofI am Hargyla ArmyA group of activists from the state of Assam have gathered around wildlife biologist Purmina Devi Barman and are fighting to save a species of Asian marabou (Leptoptilos dubius), known locally as the “hargila”. Finally, with a circular economy linked to the idea of ​​sustainable fashion and women’s empowerment, saris have more than one life: reclaimed and recycled, they are made into pillows, curtains, scarves and shopping bags.