The mystique of the Indian wedding saree has spread wide and far. Permeating foreign cultures, ‘bindis‘adorn foreheads, and kanchipuram traditional wedding sarees dress up the bride in the most enchanting and exotic fashion. The style of draping the clothing a woman in embroidery designed cloth that also couples as a skirt and a makeshift blouse has made fashion pundits chatter and fashion designers incorporate traditional kanchipuram wedding sarees in their arsenal!
Hand-woven kanchipuram sarees from natural silk and cotton are making the airwaves. The Indian bride donning a red kanjivaram is no surprise to the residents but is a major attraction across international boundaries. While in India, the kanjivaram and Designer Bollywood remain the top pick as the traditional Indian wedding sarees, the range varies from Kanchipuram sarees to Bengali sarees as well as Kotas. The traditional Indian sarees have become a common sight at Indian festival celebrations abroad too! International designers have taken up notice of the style and launched entire collections based on Indian kanchipuram wedding sarees and the likes.
Given the experimental nature of designer sarees, international designers like Sabyasachi Mukherjee have branched out into chiffon, georgette and velvet territories for their Indian saree collections. The sheer range in fabric makes the room for a permutation and combination of designer kanchipuram wedding sarees out there to shop from!
The Indian fashion brigade is not far behind, taking head-turning risks in experimental Indian bridal attire. Geometric and abstract prints have become a common sight on Indian bridal sarees, as opposed to the classic, garish red kanjivaram sarees tradition. Wedding sarees of floral and checkered prints with intricate ‘zari’-thread work are a rave nowadays! Other embroidery favorites feature stone-work, mirror work and ‘cutdana’ among others. The traditionalism of the Indian traditional wedding saree coupled with the experimental modernism that mirrors the West’s understanding of glamourous, color-soaked, Indian wedding, has globalized the concept of ‘wedding sarees’.
Perfectionism is a virtue in designing a wedding saree. And it requires an even more nuanced taste to pick one that accentuates one’s physique. Sarees with near-perfect pleats and embroideries are designed by celebrated designers for International celebrities too! Net-work, sequin-work and zari designs all across the six-yard cloth are common sights at Hollywood and Bollywood weddings. The saree thus is the perfect example of a cultural melting pot where centuries old Indian indigenous patterns and textiles are showcased all around the globe.
The Kanjivaram sarees are a 150 year old tradition born in South India. Mysore silks and Gadwal silks which are popular as well represent the pride of Southern India all over. Keeping in mind the glam factor, chiffon and georgette sarees with fabulously ornamented borders are also a favorite of the modern Indian bride. Blouses stylishly accentuated with lacework and mirror and sequin fractals are an enchanting option that is in demand.
Suffice to say sarees do not limit themselves to simply weddings and brides, and is an integral part of the style statement of the lady with élan.