Silk and tussar seem to be the most favoured yarns for sari revivalists.
According to Rai, while it is great to see designers and
revivalists working with the weavers and helping them by introducing new
yarns and designs, so that the sari does not die out completely, she is
not entirely sure that design interventions always work. “It is not
always necessary to modernize or contemporize a weave or design
patterns. Too many design changes can completely kill the creativity of
the weaver.”
Kolkata-based designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee
understands this, and for his Save the Saree project, he tends to keep
his design inputs to a minimum. “I only curate or give inputs into
aspects such as colour, etc., and not more. The idea is to keep it
authentic and traditional. There is a lot of cross-pollination of weaves
taking place due to commercial pressures and fusion has slowly started
to overtake purity. I want to make tradition more important than fusion
once again, and provide longevity to traditional weaving practices.”
Whichever way you look at it, “the pleasure of draping
this unstitched, fluid garment over and around the body” is unmatched,
according to Chishti. We agree and went hunting for designers who are
working with weavers to create new saris and preserve old ones. Now you
can do your bit to save the sari.
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