Materials Matter 2023 - Textile Transformation Submission - The Journey Of Saree
Every Indian woman’s heritage, the ever evolving representation of self-expression from a land endowed with rich & dense culture.
I have always been in awe of my rich cultural roots. The variations in textiles, food, rituals, gods, rivers and people themselves multi folds across the vast nation of India.
My mom hails from the western corner of India, Rajasthan. Known for their beautifully coordinated traditional dresses, evasive and nearly impossible to finish ‘thalis’ (A thali is basically an amalgamation of many different types of gravies, vegetables with different choices of ghee dipped breads) and their truly serene rituals and festivals.
(My mom ((middle)) with her sisters on their parents’ 50 anniversary in Rajasthan’s famous bandhani sarees. They had coordinated this months before the function.)
(My mom acting in a short film which my dad directed back in their college days. She was playing a village woman, wearing cotton printed saree with the pallu on her head as a social mandate in small Indian villages.)
(My parents first diwali after their marriage. She is wearing dark maroon bandhani saree with golden gota work details styled like a Gharcholi, a traditional auspicious apparel.)
(Photographed on the occasion of youth parliament playing the opposition’s leader, back in school. Most right, my mom seen wearing a lilac ((as she remembers)) plain silk saree.)
(Photographed on Raksha Bandhan ((An indian festival to celebrate the bond between a brother and sister, exchanging gifts, rakhis and sweets)). Wearing khadi silk saree, woven in a traditional Bengali style.)
Sarees run deep and through womanhood in Indian cultures. The phenomenon of lending sarees to your daughters on festivals, teaching them to drape their first saree relives as a warm memory for every maternal figure. I feel saree is the strongest most beautiful embodiment of womanhood.
I, for one, was never compelled to wear sarees myself as it doesn’t sit well with my raging gender dysphoria but luckily I got to push my visions on my ever complying mother back in the pandemic when I styled her for the five days of Diwali.
Image Courtesy: Google Arts & Culture
Princess enjoying a sparkler in the month of Karttika
Unknown Circa A.D. 1750
Diwali, the festival of lights, is one of the most important and widely celebrated festivals in India. Celebrated over the duration of five days, symbolizes the victory of light over darkness, good over evil. We Indians do not leave any stone unturned in the preparations, cuisines, sweets, gatherings and decorations. But due to the pandemic, most of this felt like a privilege that was taken away. The styling bit started off as a front to raid my mother’s wardrobe but later became something enriching strengthening that I was proud of as a creative and a daughter.
Dhanteras
Pairing modal cotton floral print kurta with tussah silk red black sari for a conceptual formal look. Dhanteras engages themes of cleansing, renewal and celebration aimed at increasing wealth and prosperity.
Through the styling, I meant to pursue a look of a traditional court accountant with their typically known 'bahi khata', a red little hardbound notebook in which all the treasury and monetary expenses were managed.
Even though there is no widely known historical account of a female accountant serving in the courts of ancient or medieval India as certain professions were often restricted to specific genders.
Contrasting the warm colours with white lak bangles hailing from Rajasthan and afghani multi-layered tribal necklace to put across a well-rounded woman’s character which just wasn’t restricted to families and homes.
Roop Chaudas
Dedicated to self-care and beauty after a hard day at cleaning. Primarily focused on women enhancing their beauty with natural elements like multani mitti, neem or tulsi leaves.
The colour scheme celebrates beauty and serenity. Magenta leheriya print georgette sari paired with bright yellow blouse. Enhancing the celebratory look with purple gota patti dupatta worn over the head.
"Leheriya” is a traditional tie-dye technique used to create a distinct wave-like pattern on fabrics which finds its roots in Rajasthan. Its process involves tying the fabric in a particular way and then dyeing it to achieve the characteristic wavy pattern.
Gota Patti involves the application of small pieces of zari ribbon or gota (a gold or silver ribbon) onto the fabric using the appliqué technique, it is intricately crafted by hand by the generations skilled artisans of Rajasthan & Gujarat.
To complete the undertones of shringar rasa (Shringara Rasa is one of the nine Rasas or aesthetic flavors in Indian classical arts, it is often described as the sentiment of love, beauty, and romance) associated with Roop Chaudas, a pearl kundan choker with delicate pearl gold drop earrings are adorned.
Diwali
Diwali is the main festival of Indians and celebrated with extravagant honour in spending. We light lamps & diyas to decoarate our homes & surroundings. People exchange gifts, sweets, and treats with friends, family, and neighbors as a gesture of love, appreciation, and goodwill. Making rangolis, bursting crackers to celebrate the victory of light goodness and look forward to a positive and prosperous future.
The emotions of happiness, vibrance and abundance is projected by golden banarasi dupatta, layering hot pink blouse and purple blouse, paired with purple lehenga with silver zari work.
Completed with a multicolour kundan polki set and green kundan bangles with traditional Rajasthani borla, rested on the forehead.
Banarasi sarees are one of the most renowned and exquisite traditional sarees in India. They are named after the city of Varanasi (formerly known as Banaras) in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, where they have been woven for centuries. Banarasi sarees are highly prized for their opulent designs, intricate weaving, and luxurious feel. All thanks to the skilled artisans spend weeks or even months creating each piece.
Layering of two blouses came almost as a rebellious act to me. In the history of sarees, sarees have come a long way to look the way look now. Initially it was just a long fabric draped to cover the woman’s body howsoever she navigated, but during the long years colonisation our women were subjugated to appropriation and racial fetishes because they weren’t ‘modest’ enough.
(Reverie, by Raja Ravi Varma portrays a Malayali lady traditionally dressed in sheer white saree with gold borders.)
(Jnanadanandini Debi, Picture credits: Twitter: @nikaytaa)
It was Jnanadanandini Debi, the wife of Satyendranath Tagore, brother of the famous Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore, who popularised blouses, jackets, chemises and the modern style of the saree in India. She reportedly did so after being refused entry to clubs under the Raj for wearing the sari fabric over her bare breasts.
Govardhan Puja
Cotton green collared blouse paired with bengali tant lime yellow sari. my fav part was incorporating tat banarasi brown floral sari to give insight to the traditional folklore of Krishna uplifting the govardhan mountain to save the people of vrindavan.
Tant saree is a traditional handwoven saree from the Indian state of West Bengal and Bangladesh. It is known for its lightness, comfort, and simplicity, making it a popular choice for everyday wear, especially during the hot and humid climate of the region.
It also incorporates Jamdani weave, where small decorative motifs or patterns are woven directly into the fabric.
Worn in the neck, pearl kundan jewellery set paired with green kundan studded bangles, native to Rajasthan.
Bhai Dooj
Marking the end of the five day long festival, Bhai Dooj is celebrated to mark the special bond between brothers and sisters. sisters perform a ceremonial ritual to pray for the well-being and prosperity of their brothers. The festival is similar to Raksha Bandhan but differs in certain customs and rituals.
Reimagined an androgynous look with my fav sari in her wardrobe, orange printed kashmiri silk sari paired with a layer statement of steel grey tussar silk kurta and V neck collared olive top to enhance the modernity of statement.
Native to the beautiful Kashmir Valley in the northernmost part of India. Kashmiri silk sarees are a reflection of the region's rich cultural heritage and skilled craftsmanship. These handwoven gems are known for their unique and artistic patterns, which often include floral, paisley, chinar leaf (a symbol of Kashmir), and traditional Kashmiri embroidery. Cultivated in wooden cubicles.
Completed the modern elegance of the look with oxidised ganesha choker set and Tommy Hilfiger silver watch.
