Mouni Roy’s Pinstripe Sari Is Giving Modern Workplace Dressing A Power-Up

The sari has been at the end of endless creativity over the last few years, from pre-drapes to wrapping, pleating, upcycling and more. If you’ve wanted to wear the garment to the office, but shunted the idea out as being regular or mundane, change that notion. Mouni Roy just wore a sari in the coolest fusion ways you could think of – borrowing elements from classic Kanjeevaram to meet a luxurious wool drape – and it made for an edgy interpretation. She shared her look on Instagram. We grabbed the lowdown on it from her stylist, Rishika Devnani, who calls it, "perfect for the working woman’s versatility, allowing her to express individuality and cultural pride while maintaining a commanding presence in corporate spaces". Our quick chat with Devnani…

ELLE: What's Mouni’s look all about?

Rishika Devnani (RD): Mouni’s look is masterful reimagination of the sari.  As a stylist, I’m in awe of how Maison Tai has taken the rich legacy of Kanjeevaram silk and given it a global, contemporary edge. This particular piece is a bold statement of innovation. Crafted from a luxurious wool blend navy blue pinstripe suiting fabric with gold borders, it is a stitched sari paired with a matching blazer, crisp white shirt and a gold silk tie. It exudes structure and power, perfect for the modern-day wardrobe. Yet, it stays deeply rooted in heritage with the exquisite pallu and blazer adorned in handwoven Kanjeevaram silk, crafted with real gold threads by master artisans. It’s a seamless blend of tradition and contemporary luxury, making it as timeless as it is groundbreaking.

When it comes to shaping of her look, we kept the makeup minimal. We did a sleek, gelled, side-parted low bun because we didn’t want to lose the androgynous feel of the sari and just let the look shine through as powerful and androgynous. Minimal jewellery (just her wedding rings) and strappy black heels completed Mouni’s look.”

Meet the Executive Drape

ELLE: With so much narrative centering around new-age saris and their monikers, give us a name for this!

RD: The Executive Drape is a revolutionary fashion trend that marries the sophistication of Western corporate attire with the timeless grace of traditional Indian silhouettes. It transforms the sari from being solely a cultural or festive garment into a statement piece for modern workplaces and formal settings. The style typically incorporates structured elements such as tailored blouses resembling shirts, blazers, or jackets, often paired with sharp collars, cuffs, or ties. The sari silhouette itself is crafted from fabrics like pinstripe, satin, or metallic blends, mirroring the clean lines and textures of business wear. It’s draped innovatively, emphasising streamlined silhouettes and functionality, making it both contemporary and professional. The Executive Drape trend redefines power dressing by proving that tradition and modernity can coexist seamlessly. I also like Boardroom Maharani for this!

ELLE: We think it can go from office to a party or evening out.  

 RD: Yes! To transition this look for a night out you can ditch the tie and add a statement neckpiece or wear statement contemporary earrings. Go for smoky eyes and nice glossy lips or softer eyes and bold deep red lip and open hair with straight sleek hair tucked behind the ear or soft loose waves/Hollywood waves. Pair it with an evening chain bag or a clutch. You can also swap the shirt for a sexy black corset top or black strappy tank top/ bodysuit as well and ankle booties or high open toe stilettos to complete the look.

ELLE: Concert to corporate – can we have ways to wear this look?

RD: This pinstripe sari is extremely versatile. You can play around with it so much with just editing elements of this look and playing with different drapes of the pallu like a Nivi drape, front pallu drape, over-the-arm pallu drape, jacket overlay drape (where the pallu is taken from inside the jacket), hooded pallu drape, infinity pallu drape and a scarf style pallu drape. Here’s how to wear it on different occasions:

To a concert: 
If you were to wear this saree to a concert you could ditch the jacket and the shirt. You could pair the pinstriped stitched saree with a white oversized graphic band T-shirt and white sneakers or black combat boots. Accessorise with hoops and stack of hand accessories, a sharp winged liner with fun hair like Dutch braids, a Dutch braid bun or a bubble braid ponytail to complete the look. You can also drape the jacket over the shoulder for a more stylised variation.

Corporate look:
You can also add a tie pin and pocket square, pumps and a headband as elements for a variation to the corporate look.

For an Indian wedding function:
You can ditch the tie and wear a statement polki choker instead and an arm cuff to go with or add chandbalis/jhumkas and a maang-tikka. Can complete the look with an Indian potli bag and juttis. Another idea would be to swap the white shirt with a satin or silk shirt or even a traditional, strappy bustier kanjeevaram silk gold blouse.

ELLE: The whole look makes for an accessory dream. Please share ways to have fun with that. 

RD: This ensemble is so versatile that the accessories change as per the occasion you wish to wear it for. I’m dividing it into different segments: 

 Bags
Structured practical bag for a work day.
Evening clutch or chain bag for a night out.
Potli bag for a more traditional look or event.
Casual sling bag for a casual event.

Jewellery 
Minimal dainty jewellery for the office.
Statement earrings for a night out, like an ear cuff.
Heavier Indian jewellery for a more traditional Indian event.