Back To Banaras

The weave is still in fashion – on the runways, in new weaving projects and ready-to-wear brocades. The Voice of Fashion’s Shefalee Vasudev decodes what makes it an eternal favourite

GRAZIA: Over the years, the designs on the banarasi have witnessed an apparent shift – from animal and bird depictions to Victorian style and geometric patterns. What are the pattern and motif trends dominating the market today?

SHEFALEE VASUDEV: Frankly, my observations do not suggest a marked shift from floral, paisley, shikargaha (the forest hunt with animal and bird motifs) or jamdani jaal patterns to what is termed by some as Victorian or geometric. There is, in fact, a visible co-existence of new and old design vocabulary with a stronger tilt towards the traditional instead of the modern. The loud and persistent presence of banarasi weaves across retail segments and markets, which is mirrored across media, social media, at weddings or traditional events suggests a re-engagement with older banarasi forms, not so much with the new. Ways of draping a traditional banarasi sari may have turned a new page, but the essential weave doesn’t reveal a significant departure. What has changed is that the work of designers has made the weave lighter, its fluidity, wearability and applicability for tailored garments has been considerably enhanced.