Sari: Creating High-end Fashion from Recycled Sarees

Sari, by Sital Haria and Sam Cook, was started in 2002 and is a unique fusion of charity and high-end fashion. The idea is to re-use discarded saree to produce chic clothing. The project has expanded and now offers other items such as jackets, lamp shades, and hand bags, all made from old sarees. 10% of Sari’s profits go towards helping underprivileged children.

A light quilted jacket made from recycled sarees – $285 roughly

Sari lamp shade – about $72

A funky hand bag – $400

While I think the concept of Sari is fabulous (using old sarees to create pieces of art and helping needy children) these items are obviously not meant to be bought by the average person. That handbag is pretty outrageous and could only be pulled off in a few circumstances. For $400, it’s quite a novelty. Regardless the idea behind the project is unique, resourceful, and creative.

You can learn more about Sari at the site www.saricouture.com

Kantha Stitching – A Bengali Tradition

Kantha stitching, which is essentially a simple straight stitch, is a tradition typically Bengali. This sewing method simply involves running the needle and thread in a straight line, in one side out the other along the length of the material.

Traditionally this type of stitching was used to make simple quilts, blankets, and throws from old sarees. When a saree would get too worn, torn, burn, etc., it would be paired together with a few other old sarees and they would be sewn together using the kantha stitch. Today, many Indian women still reuse their old sarees in this way. It is a simple, creative, and economic way to make something useful and beautiful from something that would otherwise be throw away.

A kantha blanket from SariBari

Kantha stitching is also used as a decorative embroidery in sarees and other Indian apparel. This use of kantha is purely artful and for aesthetic appeal. It can be quite intricate, and as the work is traditionally done by hand, can take quite a long time to do.

An example of kantha sarees

These days kantha handi-work also tends to be a curiosity for tourists and Westerners wishing to have a piece of Indian culture in their own homes. A number of development organizations in India are taking advantage of this demand and are making kantha products to sell abroad like blankets and handbags. SariBari (www.saribari.com) an NGO here in Kolkata where I previously volunteered, does just this. The blankets and bags they make sell like hotcakes abroad and for western prices, which means the women who are making the products get a decent salary to improve their standard of living.

Taking an old discarded saree and transforming it into a work of art is quite a novel concept. It goes to show that the saree can stand the test of time and can be beautiful in whatever way it is used.

Jean Paul Gaultier’s sareesque dresses

I know this is last year’s news, but never got a chance to showcase this.

People very often point to this collection as the acceptance of saree in an international fashion setting. Not sure if I fully agree with that. Very often designers take inspiration from different cultures, I don’t consider that as an “acceptance”.

But at the same time I don’t want to diminish the interesting looks Jean Paul Gaultier has created in this collection.

From Saree to Bikini

Considering that the saree blouses are turning in to bikini tops, why not use them for that purpose?

Sari paper dolls

Saree Paperdolls, not perfect but at least some effort has gone in to making the pleats right.

kirakirahoshi’s photo stream

Saree inspired dress

This blog is “All about sarees”, so for the sake of completeness, I had to add this too.

Compare this to Saree Dress post that I did not too long ago.

Saree alphabets for your scrapbooking

If you are in to digital scrapbooking; you are always looking for interesting alphabets to use in your creations.

Here is one inspired from Saree.

Source Go digital scrapbooking

Foot Mat With Old Saree

I have seen foot mats with old sarees in a magazine n tried it out at home…its very easy n will take few hours to finish this mat, wat u need to do is just to cut the sarees as long strips, braid them as long thread, fold n turn in circular , stitch the ends of the mat…can use them for bathrooms, also as table mat etc…

From Priya in Paris, France.