Manish Malhotra brings back The Sari
Sprawled over a large square table, the latest saris from Manish Malhotra‘s new “Regal Threads” line have arrived from his factory. His team checks and irons the delicate fabrics, before delivering them to the shop floor.
“It’s all about breaking rules,” says Malhotra, a revered Indian designer.
Known for styling the leading ladies of Bollywood, such as Priyanka Chopra, Shilpa Shetty and Sonam Kapoor, Malhotra has made a career out of modernizing traditional Indian dress: pairing saris with smart shirts, and modifying the garment’s silhouette to be more fitted.
Considered among the finest saris in India and known for their intricate brocade, Malhotra has overlain bold, gold florals and paisleys on distinctively Western checks and stripes in un-Indian greys and blacks.
The result is East meets West, tradition meets modernity.
Malhotra is among a wave of fashion designers enthused by Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s Make in India campaign. Launched in 2014, its goal is to encourage domestic and international businesses to manufacture their products in India.
“I am so happy the sari is back the way it used to be,” -said Malhotra.
In the city of Bengaluru, entrepreneurs Ally Matthan and Anju Maudgal Kadam last year started a viral campaign.
The #100sareepact asks women to make a pledge to wear a sari twice a week . or 100 times a year and share images of them doing so on social media.
With over 800 followers on Twitter, and with more than 7,500 posts under the hashtag on Instagram, the campaign has seen women post not just pictures of their saris, but has also sparked debate on drapes and weaves, and inspired women to share the stories behind their saris.
Malhotra, of course, is a man who understands the power of social media on fashion and believes the platform is helping to fuel the renaissance of traditional craftsmanship in the sari market.
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