Style Spy: Four ways to wear the sari

Photo courtesy: Hormis Antony Tharakan

KAVERI ACHARYA

23, Art student

CV After graduating from Lady Shri Ram College in Delhi, I started working with Gallery Espace. Currently, I’m doing my post-graduation in Art History from Jawaharlal Nehru University.

MY PERSONAL STYLE is basically determined by the weather. So in summer, it’s more boho chic – a lot of loose silhouettes combined with my signature headscarf worn as a turban. In winter, my style borders on androgynous: Really strong looks highlighted with maybe a dark purple lip colour.

MY EARLIEST FASHION MEMORY is watching my mother put on a sari every morning before going to work. So I really want to incorporate it more into my own wardrobe.

I DON’T LIKE anything interfering with my dancing, so I would opt for a shorter sari drape. And given my petite frame, I would gravitate towards saris in chiffon and light silk.

HOW-TO

A sari really comes alive when you have fun with it. Create interest with multiple layers – try choli over blouse and skirt over sari.

Satin blouse, Zara. Brocade bustier, Tarun Tahiliani. Silk and zari sari, Ashdeen for Ekaya. Textured silk skirt, Carven at MoonRiver. Leatherplatforms, her own. Rhinestone-encrusted metalearrings, Maithili Kabre at Nimai. Metal and stone ring, Zariin at Nimai

Styling: Apoorva Gairola, Make-up and hair: Sonam Kapoor

Photo courtesy: Farzan Randelia

ALLIA AL RUFAI

30, Fashion stylist

CV I did my Master’s in Commerce from Mumbai University and a course on International Understanding with the UN in Delhi. After that, I assisted Rita Dhody with the costume styling of Madhur Bhandarkar’s movie Fashion. At present I run a styling company and my clients include celebrities like Anushka Sharma, Nargis Fakhri and Freida Pinto.

MY STYLE can be best defined as easy chic. I guess I’m lucky that I’m skinny enough to experiment with various trends, but I try and stick to the ones with a classic yet modern edge. I love French designers like Céline and Saint Laurent for their understated design. Among Indian labels, I’m really fond of Rohit Gandhi + Rahul Khanna and Pankaj & Nidhi.

WEARING A SARI makes me nervous because I have never grown up around Indian clothes (my mother never wore them and my father is Arab), so I feel like I don’t understand the intricacies of the traditional attire well enough. The one time I did wear a sari, it was a disaster; it came all undone!

I’M INSPIRED BY the fluidity of the sari, so I would love to re-interpret that to suit my style. This drape adds a fun, girly twist to the traditional textile while making easy for me to move around.

HOW-TO

Skip a petticoat in favour of a midi-skirt. Raise the hemline by tucking in the sari to suit your height.

Silk sari, Raw Mango at Ensemble. Lycra corset, taffeta midi-skirt, leather platforms; all her own. Turquoise earrings, Aquamarine

Styling: Daniel Franklin, Make-up and hair: Mitesh Rajani, Assisted by: Neeti Gadodia (styling)

Photo courtesy: Farzan Randelia

AAYUSHI BANGUR

23, Fashion and beauty blogger

CV I’m an Economics graduate from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai. During my third year in college, I started my blog, Styldrv.com, on which I discuss personal style, beauty and DIYs. I continue to run the blog while collaborating with brands like Steve Madden and Mango.

FEMININITY IS INTEGRAL to my style, but I do like to toughen it up every once in a while. I’m really big on skirts – maxi, midi, pencil, I’ll try everything once. My wardrobe typically consists of high-street finds from Zara, Forever 21 and Asos.com. I’m still experimenting with what feels right for my age and my body.

MY RELATIONSHIP with Indian clothes has been strictly occasion-based. I have had a couple of trysts with saris, but I vastly prefer the salwar kameez because it is so much easier to wear. Besides, I don’t know how to drape a sari.

I LIKE this Grecian-inspired drape because of its surprise element – no one would guess it is a sari! The softer lines complement my personality and the fluidity flatters my figure.

HOW-TO

Pick a sari in crêpe or satin and wind it around your body. Use the ruching technique (making fine pleats) to mould the fabric to perfectly fit your bodice.

Crêpe sari, Satya Paul. Mesh and leather heels, Zara. Silver necklace and bangles; all Aquamarine

Styling: Daniel Franklin, Make-up and hair: Mitesh Rajani, Assisted by: Neeti Gadodia (styling)