When in doubt, go the whole six yards. The sari has never had it better — not only nationally but internationally, too. The latest to fall under the six-yard spell is none other than actress Katrina Kaif. “A sari makes a woman look so graceful and feminine — I thoroughly loved it,” the actress reportedly said after she shot a sequence for
Singh Is Kinng
— her first song in a sexy sari (designed by Manish Malhotra).
Growing appeal
Kat isn’t the only one under the spell. Actress Elizabeth Hurley wore a pink diamond-encrusted sari for her Hindu wedding to Arun Nayyar. Talk show hostess Oprah Winfrey wore one as well. And who can forget Sushmita Sen as the red hot sari-clad chemistry teacher in Main Hoon Na or the rain-drenched Sridevi in
Mr. India
? Today, the sari market stands at $12-billion plus, accounting for more than one-third of the total apparel and household textiles consumption in India. Puneet Nanda of Satya Paul says, “There has been a steady increase in sari sales over the past few years. The sari will never go out of fashion.” Manish Malhotra, who’s been credited with making the sari sexy in B-town, concurs, “The sari is here to stay. From teenage girls to women in their mid-60s — they all look graceful in it.” He relates an incident when Kareena Kapoor chose to wear a sari instead of a Cavalli gown, as decided, for an awards function.
Versatile wear
Explaining the resurgence of the sari, Nanda says, “It can be attributed to the versatile way in which the sari can be draped to accentuate the form of the wearer coupled with corsets, off- shoulder blouses and drawstring cholis that make it a whole generation younger.” Satya Paul has designed saris like the ‘Oogle sari’ and ‘Barcode sari’ or even the endangered species collection, bringing out the element of youthfulness in the saris. Their new line, the Pop Art series, will hit the stores early this September. Internationally, too, designers like Jean Paul Gaultier, Louis Vuitton and Elie Saab have taken some inspiration from saris in their creation.
Versatile wear
Explaining the resurgence of the sari, Nanda says, “It can be attributed to the versatile way in which the sari can be draped to accentuate the form of the wearer coupled with corsets, off- shoulder blouses and drawstring cholis that make it a whole generation younger.” Satya Paul has designed saris like the ‘Oogle sari’ and ‘Barcode sari’ or even the endangered species collection, bringing out the element of youthfulness in the saris. Their new line, the Pop Art series, will hit the stores early this September. Internationally, too, designers like Jean Paul Gaultier, Louis Vuitton and Elie Saab have taken some inspiration from saris in their creation.