One word … stunning!

While working on the film Raavan, designer Sabyasachi was struck by the beauty of the shorter sari as worn by the tribal women of Madhya Pradesh.

“It was easy to navigate around in,” he says. He displayed his own take on this at Couture Week a few months later. Not only did he feel it made the sari look trendier, but also allowed women to show their shoes. (“Today women spend so much of their budget on shoes.”)

To make the sari even more user-friendly, he inserted gussets, so all you had to do was wrap and wear. Now, though, he’s thinking of removing the gussets and going back to the classic drape. (“It will make the sari less gimmicky.”) He doesn’t feel it is correct to call the ‘chhotu’ a Sabya classic yet, as he believes it takes at least six years for an innovation on a traditional dress to really take off. But be ready for Sabya’s chhotu sari as a permanent fixture of his collection.

Source: Wonderwomen.in

“Hermès admires India and has a lot to learn from India,” said Patrick Thomas, the chief executive of Hermès International, as he unveiled their new line of limited edition saris. Inspired by their signature printed silk scarves, the luxury fashion house has released a line of traditional Indian saris – costing $6,100 to $8,200 – as a “wink” to Indian customers.

On October 7 Hermès joined brands such as Giorgio Armani, Ermenegildo Zegna and Etro by opening their second Indian store in Mumbai, but rather than targeting the menswear market, as the other brands have chosen to do, Hermès have turned their hand to womenswear.

The Indian high-end fashion market is worth an estimated $2.2bn and with a year on year growth of 20 per cent it is considered to be one of the leading emerging markets along with China.

Saris continue to be worn by the majority of women in India for everyday use, traditional celebrations and weddings, and so while other labels are choosing to enter the market with their jewellery, handbags and footwear, Hermès are confident that their traditional luxury garments will be a hit.

The label were secretive about whether their new line would be a long-term venture. In an interview with the Financial Times, a spokesman for the company said that they “don’t know whether we are going to keep them for the long run…it depends on how people receive them.” Watch this space…

The limited edition line of Hermes saris will be available exclusively from their Mumbai store.

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