Indian Fashionable Saree

As discussed previous to that, A Saree is a piece of unstitched cloth styled in such a manner that perfects draper in a fascinating way to show her perfectly dressed, the apparel which suits for all the occasions or even in daily use. There are quite a few varieties of Saree manufactured in India that too in different types and fabrics of cloth. The cost of Saree varies according to the quality of cloth and work done by artisans on Sari. Today Saree is available in different varieties that are, Pure silk Sari, Silk blended Sari, Art silk Sari, Cotton Sari, Cotton Blended Sari, Georgette Sari, Chiffon Sari, Crape Sari, Polyester Sari, Synthetic Sari.
Among these Sari some brands are commonly manufactured like Banarasi silk Sari, Kanjivaram silk Sari, Tepata silk Sari, Apoorva Bangalore silk Sari, Maysoor silk Sari, khadi silk Sari prepared by the artisans on loom. Rajasthani cotton Sari also named as, Akola Sari, Bagru Sari, Barmeri Sari, Sanganeri Sari. Printed Sari is prepared from the fabric cotton, georgette, chiffon, crape, polyester and synthetic etc.Some of the hand work Sarees are also common these days which includes Lucknowi Karai Sari, Chikan work Sari, Sequens work Sari, Antique work Sari and Zari work Sari. Among traditional Saree , Bandhini Sari of Rajasthan and the Chanderi Sari of Madhya Pradesh are land marks in the history of Indian Sari. Venkatagiri and Poona Sari, Pochampali Sari and Maheswari Sari are also very fascinating. For a country which gets about 15 % of its total exports from its apparel industry, India is definitely on the way up as far as garment industry is concerned. On the downside though, Bollywood is still a major puller for the masses, of making style statements.

Traditional Saree

There are no clear fashion designers who are influencing the market at large. The Movie stylists are however doing much better. Even today with all the media, a Shahrukh Khan’s outdated sunglass would attract a stronger follower group than even somebody as famous as a Ritu Kumar showing a fabulous pattern of a blouse with mind blowing embroidery on the ramp in a major fashion week. The masses in India are still highly influenced by trickle-down markets. It is not as if things have to change, after all international brands have started making a huge entry into the Indian market.  And they have really made difference to at least where the rich and famous shop. They don't have to fly to London or Paris, every time they want to show off their immaculate international style, and caliber to afford international designers But there is still time before the wave of fashion growth will rise as high as say a Milan or Paris.  The mofussil India is still to fall into the Fashion cycle. Short skirts and sleeveless has to struggle even now to make it to many parts of India, owing to the psyche of Suburban, rural and even many urban parts of India. The fact is that no matter how optimistically some people may place India on the fashion map, the people in India still have to understand the fashion industry, the designers have to stop aping the west or get stuck in what the west assumes India is capable of.
The west has to recognise India as not only a land of cheap outsourced export and manufacturing units, but also a formidable competition in terms of design and innovation too. And the day that the “Indian fashion weeks”, are noticed by international buyers (and not in the small amounts as now), and gets into their calenders, is still slightly far. Pham is one of the industry`s most well-rounded trendsetters. The San Francisco fashion designer recently developed his own innovative line, Grp.E Jeans, after designing for major brands like Ecko Unlimited and Express and for celebrities like rappers 50 cent and L.L. Cool J. Academy of Art University San Francisco is one the forefront of fashion design education. It is the first and only educational institution whose School of Fashion MFA graduates have the opportunity to showcase their graduate collections during Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in New York City. Other fashion schools have classes that teach about denim fabrics and washes, but this will be the first course exclusively focused on designing jeans,` said Pham.
`This isn’t just theory. Students will study the history of denim, top designers and brands-then they will create their own designer jeanswear collection. The two essential parts of the attire, that completes the dress in saree are petticoat and blouse. Both of which should be chosen carefully to look beautiful in saree. Petticoat is used by Indian women which is to be worn under the Sari to hold the Saree placed properly on the portion from feet to waist on the body of a women. It is a waist-to-floor garment, tied tightly at the waist by a drawstring. For perfect and clean look no part of it should be visible after draping a saree on to it.Other part of the saree, to complete the dressing, includes the cloth named blouse which comprises the part of Sari. It is also the integral part of the Saree, requires to be worn by women while dressing up in Sari. It is like a tight fitting compact part of choli either having sleeve or sleeveless and is worn on the upper part of the body covering the breast and ends just below the bust. It would be wrong to say that the industry had not existed before the late 80’s. And it would be probably worse if I was to say India did not have a proper fashion show until the 2000’s.

Jamdhani Saree

Indian Saree

There is Jeannie Naoroji The ‘Godmother of fashion shows in India’; who initiated the first wave of fashion shows in India and is responsible for making them professional, as early as 1958, but then they were not what we know of fashion shows today. The fashion shows were held for entertainment purposes more than any things else. “The shows had a lot of tamasha. We’d recreate the ballroom scene or have a ballet,” reminisces Naoroji. “Among those who came to see the initial shows was Simone Tata, who’d joined cosmetic brand Lakmé (started in 1952). She wanted to see if these could help promote Lakmé,” says Naoroji.The legendary Spencer Sisters, Sylla and Nergish pioneered the early forms of fashion catwalk as we know it today and the India’s first boutique was opened in Mumbai in 1965 named ‘Dagina’ by Mr. Chandu Morarjee, but it was only in the nineties that Indian designers actually made a niche for themselves. Designers like Ranna Gill, Rohit khosla, Rohit Bal, J.J. Valaya, started their solo shows, having to work on everything, the styling, the music, fixing up the venue, choreography; for which we now have dedicated staff during the show. With FDCI (Fashion Design Council ofIndia) forming as a business industry association of designers only about a decade ago, it has a lot to look forward to. There are dedicated courses and colleges (NIFT) that offer higher education in fashion entrepreneurship and the technical knowhow. A lot of designers like Manish Arora, Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Rajesh Pratap Singh, etc. have now started participating in International Fashion Weeks and been appreciated there too.Sharing his learning from his successes designing for major brands like Ecko Unlimited and Express, celebrities like rappers 50 cent and L.L. Cool J, and his own label Grp.E Jeans, Pham will prepare students for designing their own lines of designer jeans. This fall, the Academy of Arts University of San Francisco will expand its fashion design curriculum to include its first comprehensive designer jeans course.
 Created by the Academy`s Menswear Design professor Tommy Pham, Denim Design will teach aspiring fashion design students everything from the history of denim and jeanswear to how to create and market their own denim collection. Nevertheless, Indians have been rather ignorant when it comes to global trends and truth is told, per capita, they still are. Still the change is obvious and the Indian industry is now increasingly becoming a cut throat, merciless competition like in other industries. With so much that traditional crafts have to offer and such a rich history in textiles the modern Fashion Industry as we know it today isn’t something that had caught on till about a decade ago. The industry ran slow, designers unlikely to take risks, and technically challenged, and brands were still not the majority of the population was going for. There were master tailors in each area for stitched garment needs and the rural populatiom still used only woven fabric (saree and dhoti) as their primary garment of choice. However, a lot has changed with the advent of Internet, TV and Mobile phones in the urban, suburban and rural sectors in India. The urban sectors have now started looking it luxury and semi luxury brands, and a growth in YUPPIE culture has been seen in the last decade. India is considered an attractive market for luxury brands; about 50 premium and luxury brands, including Jimmy Choo, Gucci, Christian Dior, Chanel, have opened stores in India in recent years. 

Indian Beauty

Not only that ‘branding’ is now a major puller to this money making bunch of people who are much more fashion conscious than their previous generation was. Unlike the yuppies in America in the late 70’s and 80’s, the Indian young population is much more aware because of internet, international TV networks and global tightening. Consumer spending on fashion products has grown at 7.1% annually from 2002 through 2007.Women from ancient times used to drape long strips of cottons clothing which later termed as Saree. Saree is draped in different style and fashion as the fashion and style changes from time to time. Saree took the various draping forms from time to time. Saree now is worn and used in many flavors and styles in India and abroad. It is also made from many different fabrics ranging from soft and smooth silk to the comfort feeling cotton. Over the years the fashion has graduated and the style of draping a saree has gone through a lot of changes. Saree has dressed Indian women over the ages, and will continue to do so as long women are.
Saree is a perfect wear of Indian Women. Indian Women, beacuse of Saree is known and recognized in all parts of world as an evergreen beauty of nature. Saree is traditional and feminine dress which has been worn by the Indian ladies for centuries ago. Also From Hindu literature it is depicted from the paintings that Saree was used by so many ancient legendary figures like Radha, during the time of lord Krishna Draupati in Mahabarata. It has also been seen in Indian history that Rajput Queen of Mughal Emperor Akbar in 16th century loved to wear Sari which were made of fine fabric, different types of hand work were also got done on it. Pham is one of the industry`s most well-rounded trendsetters. The San Francisco fashion designer recently developed his own innovative line, Grp.E Jeans, after designing for major brands like Ecko Unlimited and Express and for celebrities like rappers 50 cent and L.L. Cool J. Academy of Art University San Francisco is one the forefront of fashion design education. It is the first and only educational institution whose School of Fashion MFA graduates have the opportunity to showcase their graduate collections during Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in New York City. `Other fashion schools have classes that teach about denim fabrics and washes, but this will be the first course exclusively focused on designing jeans,` said Pham. `This isn’t just theory.
Students will study the history of denim, top designers and brands-then they will create their own designer Jeanswear collection.`  The exhibition which is held annually in March, had about 30 stalls, exhibiting Ethnic, Semi traditional, fabrics and clothing and Silver( and semi precious jewelry, and even furnishings from various designers. Crafts men from Chippa Yasin, Jodhpur and Tana Bana, Maharashtra had brought some fanatastic traditional fabrics and sarees from their respective towns. These stores saw block printed silks and cottons, some fusion designs with dippliqué and appliqué techniques, in vegetable dyed fabrics, home furnishing fabrics, as well as very fine Chanderi silk sarees from Tana Bana.Rummana Khan, of Rummi’s had a good collection of traditional Lucknow Chikankari Suits fused with new designs, and got a lot of visitos intrigued. Mumbai Designer Sheetal Jhavei of ffluid Fashions,  had lots of western wear in traditional fabrics, with beautifully draped jacket /stole with a front cowl and asymmetric  hem. K. Clothing designer Kavery also used ethnic silks, linen, and cottons to create some very tastefully fitted western clothes with geometrical surface appliqués on a few of them.