A Tribute to Chantal Boulanger: A Woman Who Preserved and Promoted the Art of Saree Draping

This post is a tribute to cultural anthropologist Chantal Boulanger who passed away in December 2004. This French woman was an expert on south India’s Dravidian culture. She spent over a decade in India, from 1980 to 1996, researching Hindu customs, temple practices, and photographing Indian life and spiritual customs mostly in Tamil Nadu.

One of her greatest contributions is her research and meticulous documentation of over a hundred different variations of saree drapes. Most of these saree drapes would have eventually become forgotten if it had not been for her work on recording and preserving this unique art.

Chantal’s work has helped to preserve a precious part of Indian culture. Her book Saris: An Illustrated Guide to the Indian Art of Draping is a priceless contribution to the world of sarees. Her books classifies families of sarees and provides detailed diagrams of how to properly drape each saree. Below is an example of one of Chantal’s depictions showing how to drape a saree in Mul style.

Thank you Chantal for your passion and hard work to preserve this precious art and vital component of Indian culture.

Love Hate relationship with butterfly sarees

I have a love hate relationship with butterfly sarees. Most of the times I hate them, but once in a while, in a moment of weakness, I start to admire how the essence of saree has been retained.

A few years ago, due to a major TV star wearing it very often, it became very popular and then its popularity crashed. It has seen some revival recently, but I am concerned that it will not become a part of classic saree trends which permeates the general saree wearing populous.

Sort of for the same reason why automatic or pre-knotted ties have never become popular.

Think of them as dresses and start admiring them again.

Poonam Jhaver’s saree drape: I wonder if this qualifies as an innovative saree drape!

Is this just another way of draping a saree? It is not in Chantal’s book, so probably not!

Saris were never so hot!

From Times of India. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/4756718.cms

It’s the drape for all seasons and this summer – the traditional Indian sari is going retro. Traditional Benarasi, jacquard, kota, cotton and jamdaani are high on the sari roster.

Antique textile collector Sobha Deepak Singh, the director of the Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra says of the sari movement, “It used to be a very niche segment, but with the sari being recognised as formal wear globally, more women are choosing it over Western-style evening dresses.”

In vogue are antique saris – more than 100 years old – and recreated period saris. Traditional drapes from the old havelis (royal family homes) of Rajasthan, the Kutch and other regions of Gujarat, Varanasi and adjoining towns in Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala are the fabrics of choice.

Cashing in on this demand for traditional and antique saris, the apparel chain Fabindia set up an exclusive stand for saris. This is the first in a series of a proposed chain devoted to traditional saris with contemporary looks and matching silk and cotton cholis. Every sari has been handwoven by rural artisans at the chain’s 17 community-owned companies in villages, where artisans own 26 percent of the stakes.

Fabindia has created three lines of saris – the “traditional” line featuring crafts-based saris; “contemporary”, a collection that uses traditional techniques to create a modern idiom; and a “revival” line that brings back saris that are in danger of dying out.

“Traditions like silk Telia Rumals, Koraput saris, Upadas, Ajrakh print on gajji silk, hand-painted kalamkari, Madhubani paintings on maheshwari and chanderi and jamdaanis are dying because of lack of support,” said Prableen Singh, spokesperson for Fabindia.

“The lure of the traditional Indian sari from the states is evergreen,” said Delhi-based designer-cum textile revivalist Madhu Jain. She is working with former supermodel-turned-grassroots textile activist Milind Soman for the past nine years to revive the ancient “ikkat” and “kalamkari” saris and weaves in Andhra Pradesh and Orissa.

“This year, we are going to launch a new line of ikkat from Orissa with unusual motifs inspired by the Puri temple,” added Jain. Bharatanatyam dancer Geeta Chandran, whose brother-in-law works with weavers all over the country to create traditional saris.

Ready-to-wear saris are also fast gaining popularity in India, said Kolkata-based fashion designer Radhika Singhi. “Indian women are becoming more inclined to use ready-to-wear, hassle-free party-wear saris and lehengas. There is a growing demand for cocktail dresses like gown-cum-saris as well,” said Radhika.

Women today want to wear dresses similar to what Indian celebrities wear at international events like the Cannes Film Festival. “Women today want to wear Indian dresses similar to those worn by Indian celebs at Cannes and other events. And hence instead of traditional heavy bridal wears they prefer to wear gown-cum-saris,” she added.

Where colours are concerned, Radhika says even brides these days prefer pastel colours. “Besides traditional colours like red and maroon, today’s brides are also choosing pastel colours like peach, powder blue, off-white, rusty red and muddy greys – that are very English – for their shaadi ka joda (bridal dress),” she said.

The designer added that young brides and bridegrooms are laying more stress on comfortable fabrics, patterns and colours rather than on embellishments. “The trend for wedding dress for both man and woman is minimal embellishments on comfortable fabric like silk, chiffons or organza,” Radhika adds.

kind of an odd way to hold a saree..

Guys can get away by putting a thumb in the waist of their jeans; unfortunately women can’t – especially when you are wearing a saree!

Traditional Tuesday: nine yard Madisar style saree

For certain traditional functions, women is required to wear the saree in the Madisar style. To learn how to wear traditional saree of nine yards, see here.

I liked how they used a little cute girl to show off the draping of the saree. It is a 16 step process, so take your time. If it turns out perfect, take a picture and send it to us!

Source Nilacharal.com

Diploma in Saree Draping

Learn 21 types of saree & dupatta tying according to the body posture of the client. Learn to bring astonishing changes in your personality by working on the material of the saree as per the demand of a particular occasion. Discover an extremely unique and exciting style of tucking in more than one saree e.g. Double saree, triple saree or even double bridal dupatta tying.

Source

Interesting thought; I don’t think I have seen a triple saree drape as yet. Would be kind of interesting for sure.

If you have any pictures of a triple saree drape, I would love to see them.

Sigh… I still cannot wear a sari Myself: Bipasha Basu

Kolkata: Wearing a sari is so difficult for Bollywood glamgirl Bipasha Basu that the 30-year-old actress and model still needs someone to help her out. “Wearing a sari is difficult. I cannot wear it myself. This is only the second time this year that I am wearing a sari,” she told reporters here yesterday after putting the ramp on fire dressed in a red and white sari from the Monapali collection at the ongoing Kolkata Fashion Week.

Rural weaves is the theme of the city’s first-ever fashion week. She said she likes their work which strikes a balance between ethnicity and modernity. “The theme is good as it showcases the talent of weavers and this is what makes Kolkata Fashion Week different from all other fashion weeks,” she said while praising city-based fashion designers.

Asked whether working in films is easier or walking on the ramp, the Bengali actress quipped: “In cinema it is easier. Here if I trip, all the television cameras will catch me. I cannot make mistakes on the ramp”.

source

Sigh… this is a shame, really! This is not her failure – this is a collective failure of all os us; the parents, the society, the designers and the fans.

Wearing a saree, for an Indian woman, should be as much of a requirement as learning to knot a tie for any English boy.

I am embarrassed for her, and I am embarrassed for all of us.