Tagoriana: A Tribute to Tagore
On Thursday November 19 Kolkata proudly celebrated the 150th birthday anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore with a fashion show called Tagoriana. The show featured clothing worn by the Tagore family, a style knows at Thakurbari fashion. The outfits presented in the show gave Kolkata a glimpse of what was considered to be fashionable back in Tagore’s day.
Sonalee Chaudhuri
Chaiti Ghoshal
Thakurbari is Tagore’s birthplace and is also a rich Bengali tradition. In this tradition women cover their heads with their sarees whenever they talk to elders and especially when entering a temple, they wear off-white sarees with a detailed crimson border during festivities, after showering a married woman will apply sindoor (a red powder which signifies marriage) in the part of her hair and will apply a dot on their forehead. These are just a few examples of Thakurbari. The term Thakurbari encompasses a number of meanings and traditions for Bengalis. Many women still hold true to it today but in the cities the traditions are slipping away as modernization creeps in.
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Images: kolkatamirror.com
My successful Vivaha 2009 show in Delhi
My successful vivaha 2009 show in Delhi.
A hearty welcome to Sariholics from Czech Republic
A couple of months ago, a friend of mine sent me a delightful picture of non-desi woman, looking very comfortable in a yellow saree, and playing miniature golf in some European country!. I really loved the picture, it was incongruent yet it felt so right!
Turns out that it is a picture of Komarececincek from Czech Republic. And they have a group that is so close to my heart, called Sariholics.
What a great name for the group; I would have named this site Sariholics, if I had thought about it!
The first sariholic was apparently Magda Karlikova and one of the other saree enthusiast is Leeloo Reddi. The group is now as strong as 200 women and they are literally a group of sareeholics.
It is kind of hard to wear a saree when when it is -25°C, but in the summer time – they really have saree parties.
Here is a picture from the 2007 party:
And here is a one from 2008
and this is from 2009 sariholic party:
Leeloo has 23 sarees herself. The most interesting part is that some of these gorgeous women are wearing sarees not just at this party or just for this party, but generally at home and also at work. So it is not a “costume party”; it is a gathering of people who love to wear sarees!
Sariholics website is here and it is chockfull of beautiful pictures, comments and general saree resources! click here for English translation.
I am so pleased to know and make acquaintance of this group!
I want to thank and acknowledge the group and want them to know that as a fellow sareelover, or fellow sariholic, I appreciate their effort and share their joy in wearing, enjoying and donning the saree!
So by the power invested in me by the Nation of Saree Lovers, I hereby proclaim the first week of May as the Sariholic week!
Every May, I will specifically recognize the group and perhaps post some of the pictures on this blog, so get high on saree and join the sariholics on these pages.
The original site is in Czech; the English translation is here.
Pink war: Chaddi to be exchanged with saree
To counter a disturbing trend of right-wing Hindu thugs beating up women going to pubs or wearing clothes they don’t approve of, Bangalore-based Alternative Law Forum (ALF) has launched a satirical campaign to support India’s “Pubgoing Loose and Forward Women”.
The Pink Chaddi Campaign asks women to send pink chaddis (underwear) to the ALF to forward to one of the bullying organisations, the Shri Ram Sene, which has threatened to attack couples found celebrating Valentine’s Day.
The Pink Chaddi campaign now has 34,000 members.
Now, in a bid to counter the ‘Pink Chaddi Campaign’, Sri Ram Sene chief Pramod Muthalik has announced to exchange Pink Chaddis (Pink Panties) with sarees.
Talking to reporters, Muthalik said that the organisation will give sarees to those sisters who will gift them pink undergarments on Valentine Day.
Pramod Mutalik has rubbished the alleged pink chaddi campaign by pubgoers, and said that it is a tactic to shy away from the core issue of Indian culture.
The radical Hindu outfit has collected more than 900 sarees in this regard.
Earlier, a group of pubgoers have launched a ‘Pink Chaddi Campaign’, in which they will gift a bagful of ‘Pink undergarments’ to Sri Ram Sene chief Pramod Muthalik on Valentine Day.
It is ‘Gandhigiri’ with a difference for over 3,000 people, who have joined ‘The Pink Chaddi Campaign’ to send what else but bagful of pink undergarments to the office of the Mangalore pub attack masterminds Sri Ram Sene on February 14.
The campaign which started as a group on Facebook on February 5 by a young woman journalist has already enrolled more than 3000 members with many more circulating mails asking people to donate pink underwear to various temporary offices set up in different cities or to send the material directly to Sri Ram Sene office.
“I just could not believe seeing those men attack women so mercilessly. We had to respond in some way or the other because if we don’t, then these guys will win. Pink chaddis are nothing but a metaphor to how disgusting they are,” Nisha Susan, a journalist with news portal, said..
Nisha, who has also set up a blog with relevant contact details, claimed she has already collected over 500 pink undergarments.
She further said, “It is not the numbers that matter but the act itself. There is one woman who called up and told me that she has bought 100 of them dirt cheap in the market. One of my friend’s mom too called up and said she will check out her wardrobe and collect as many as possible.”
This is a great deal and win for both parties; exchange your pink chaddis with a saree. You show your displeasure with the Ram sena group and get a saree in return! Then you can wear the saree and go the bar and have fun.
Indian saris, jewellery exhibition starts in Pakistan
By Mahtab Bashir
ISLAMABAD: A ten-day exhibition of Indian saris, shalwar kameez, jewellery and bags started at a local guesthouse on Tuesday.
A wide range of exquisite Indian saris, antique Parsi Garas, Gara borders and Gara shalwar kameez suits, French chiffons, Lucknow saris and shalwar kameez suits, Kantha saris and shalwar kameez suits, Satya Paul Crepe De-Chine saris and shalwar kameez suits, pure cotton saris and shalwar kameez suits, evening bags and Indian jewellery were on display.
With their striking colour combinations and trendy designs, Kersi Dubash under her brand named ‘Nazakat Collections’ from Mumbai presented a seamless transition from Indian Banarsi and Lucknowi formal and casual wear to delicate wedding saris and dinner wear. Kersi has exclusively designed the cuts and flow of material.
All saris and suits woven in different ways, patterns and materials with different prints depicted a soothing effect. The clothes were an amalgamation of hues, ravishing and glittering styles with pale and vibrant shades on heavy and light fabrics such as silk, chiffon, crepe, cotton, and chickenkari.
Most of the saris were handmade and embroidered with traditional sari blouses having embellishment of pearls, crystals, beads and sequence work.
A wide range of pure and Jodha Akbar Kundan jewellery collection also attracted a number of visitors. With specially designed jewellery studded with diamonds, emeralds, rubies, sapphires, tanzanite and semi-precious stones, Dubash has tried to build his brand reputation with extensive and unique product line. Bangles, bracelets, rings, earrings, pendants, and bridal sets, with diverse colour, style and combination were put on exhibition.
“I have been visiting Pakistan for over a decade now, and I always feel pleasant to be here to display my collection exclusively designed for females. Since both countries’ culture, traditions and folklore are same and so is the code of dressing. And my work has always been appreciated by Pakistani women,” Dubash told Daily Times.
The exhibition would conclude on November 7. This exhibition would also be held in Lahore, Karachi and Peshawar.
I am just glad that Saree is not considered “un-pakistani” any more. Pakistani tradition of interesting color combinations have a lot to contribute to the saree design.
SareeDream Team members spotted on Page 3 of Indian newspaper
Two members of our team, Toni D and Liza Varma were recently spotted on the page 3 of the Hindustan Times.
They were both attending the Dalmia family’s pre Diwali party in Delhi. Here you can see them sharing a drink with Archana Dalmia.
(Here is some information about the Dalmia family.)
And the full article is here. Click for a better view.
India’s Best Dressed Women : 2008 – Sonia Gandhi
Verve Magazine has a list of best dressed list and not surprisingly, there are several saree clad women there. Periodically, we will bring you some notable saree lovers from that list. 
UNDERSTATED POWERHOUSE
Signature style Crisp, sharp and desi.
Has an affinity to ‘Paithani’ saris, white cotton kurta sets.
Style statement Pinned up hair, slightly retro-buffant style. Kohl eyes.
Textile trends Cotton, khadi, handloom silks. Various weaves in saris which are handpicked from different corners of India.
Design detail Temple and rudraksh borders in saris, ikat weaves, a touch of gold threadwork.
Colour code White, cream, earthy ochres and browns, indigo, deep maroon.
Low-key dazzle Simple and elegant pearl strands and earrings.
Dramatic drape Teaming sharply tailored jackets with cravat-like sari pallus during her diplomatic visits abroad.
Big passion The study of art and historical monuments.
See also : India’s top ten best dressed List – Priyadarshini Raje Scindia
Benazir Bhutto and Indira Gandhi in Saree : a picture worth 5000 words.
When Benazir Bhutto visited Shimla and learnt her first lesson in politics.
She looked bewitching in a saree. It was a picture where she was with her father and Indira Gandhi.
The year was 1973, just after the Bangladesh-pakistan-india war.
It is unfortunate that both Indira and Benazir met a tragic end.
An interesting account from Saroj Thakur is here.
Remembering Indira Gandhi: (19 November 1917 – October 31, 1984)
I was going to wait till 19th Nov to show this post, but this picture is too precious to not share on this blog.
About US
Sunny is a designer in Los Angeles. He loves the fluidity and fluency of a saree and believes that when a woman wears a saree, she not only adorns her body but she also adorns her soul. His design ethos is that “simplicity never goes out of style.”
Rupa Gupta: A writer, editor and journalist, Rupa has been in the media for more than two decades. She has worked as Editor with major publications, both in India and abroad. a keen eye for fashion and current trends. Her sense of aesthetics transcends the hype and always finds the true beauty.
Liza Varma is a former Femina Miss India and well known model in Delhi. Today, she is a leading Fashion Choreographer with over 1000 shows to her credit in India and abroad. She is also a member of the Fashion Design Council of India and a Consultant with Shoot Talent Management. Her client list is the who’s who of Indian fashion industry.
Misty is a student in London and has her fingers on the pulse of London fashion industry.
Abhi is a student in San Francisco and showcases sensuous saree pictures.
Kamini is a model in Los Angeles and loves to accentuate the best a saree has to offer.