SAVE OUR SARI

Textiles treasures from across India to have and to hold in your bridal trousseau.

- Nupur Sarvaiya

The six yards of fabric is the most regarded and reinvented type of clothing. With its lightweight, timeless appeal, repeat value and heirloom-worthiness, a sari is never amiss in a trousseau. World over, we are seeing a welcome renaissance of made-by-hand saris. From the deft ikat Patola weaves from Patan in Gujarat to Varanasi (where Benarasi brocade comes from), we help you curate handwoven wonders that are must-haves.

KANJEEVARAM

Hailing from the temple town of Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu, Kanjeevaram sari stands out for its use of real zari, contrasting borders and characteristic designs. It was also the bridal outfit of choice for Deepika Padukone for her Konkani wedding ceremony in November 2018. “For centuries, the basic structure of the Kanjeevaram fabric stayed intact. It had always remained a genre woven with a heavily plied mulberry silk warp and similar weft. This was the secret of its luxurious drape and its iridescent colours. Depending on the intricacy of the motifs and details, a Kanjeevaram sari can take 15 - 60 days to come to life,” says K.H. Radharaman, creative director of Advaya. “We have extended the scope of our innovations to also create khadi Kanjeevaram, organza Kanjeevaram, and tussar Kanjeevaram, as well as khadva Benarasi georgette, and jacquard ikat, to name just a few. Colours such as red, green, pink and orange are classics.” Radharaman adds.