The new sari--from subcultural trends to innovative and experimental
designs using cutting-edge materials
In recent years, the sari has been reinvented. Urban youth who
previously associated the sari with formal attire can now be found
wearing saris and sneakers on their commutes to work. Designers are
experimenting with hybrid forms such as sari gowns and dresses,
pre-draped saris and innovative materials such as steel. Individuals are
wearing the sari as an expression of resistance to social norms and
activists are embodying it as an object of protest. Today, the sari
manifests as a site for design innovation, an expression of identity and
a crafted object carrying layers of cultural meanings.
The Offbeat Sari celebrates these innovations in sari design, with
photography of pieces by leading contemporary designers. Commissioned
essays by notable Indian writers such as Pragya Agarwal and Sonia
Faleiro explore ideas such as gender fluidity, politics, sustainability,
female empowerment and the self-image of India, alongside interviews
with the designers whose work illustrates each theme.
