The sari edit: 12 Indian labels that’ll help you get festival-ready
Like they say, don’t burst a patakha — be one
You could get away with scraping together a last-minute party outfit on regular days — like wearing that LBD from your college graduation party to a friend’s engagement — you need a little more planning when it comes to Indian festive wear, especially when you’re sari shopping. Indians take their festivities seriously — Diwali poojas, wedding sangeets and group chats spammed with relatives in their ethnic finery. And as your mom will remind you, draping a dupatta around your jeans as a ‘modern sari’ isn’t going to cut it.
We’ve scoured the internet for Indian designer labels that are festive-ready and allow you to walk around without sweating off half your body weight. Outfits that you can re-wear, mix and match, and most importantly, saris that you can purchase without having to auction off your liver.
Indian festive wear brands that will help you get festive ready
Photo credit: Anushree Reddy
This Hyderabad-based self-taught designer creates sumptuous festive and bridal designs that exemplify the best of traditional Hyderabadi zardosi embroidery. I particularly love Reddy’s Blush Pink Chiffon with Cutdana Work Ruffle Saree Set, cause the ’80s are back, even when it comes to Indian wear.Price range: ₹57,000 – ₹8,00,000
RAR Studio
Founded by Ritesh Rajpoot, Aniket Sinha and Rishav Sinha, RAR Studio’s designs blend traditional Indian influences with contemporary drapes. We love the graphics and prints that bring to life a range of Indian textiles — favourites are their embroidered Chanderi pieces. Lightweight, and fuss-free, even for when you’re bending and flexing to light all those little diyas. Price range: ₹10,000-₹87,000
Photo credit: Amrita Thakur
Amrita Thakur
Offering a more contemporary and decidedly more ‘I can walk in them!’ take on bridal wear, Amrita Thakur’s designs feature minimal embroidery against a palette of bright and happy colours. Her focus might be bridal wear but it lives up to theme of wearable, which means they’ll fit right into your festive-evening wardrobe. Price on request
Photo credit: Nafisa Rachel Williams
Nafisa Rachel Williams
Inspired by ‘life’ itself, her pieces blend the traditional with the modern. The best part about Nafisa’s label is that if you’ve stolen some of mum’s saris and you’ve been sitting on getting them turned into something that’s more ‘you’, you can bring over your fabrics to her and she’ll customise it to your liking. Price on request
Photo credit: NVY Studio
A sari label from self-taught designer Nivya Babu that focuses on ready-to-wear and bespoke designs, the Chennai-based label entertains customers by appointment-only. Make sure to go well in advance if you’re looking to amp up your festive and wedding wear wardrobe. Price range: ₹3,000 – ₹9,000
Photo credit: Peachoo
Peachoo
Get ready to bring on the bling with Peachoo, a label that combines the founder’s Paris-inspired aesthetic with Indian tradition. Think handloom cottons meets beaded embroidery and traditional hand woven techniques in not so traditional colours and patterns. Price range: ₹6,000 – ₹47,000
Photo credit: Picchika
Picchika
The Jaipur-based label, founded by Urvashi Sethi, is well-known for its hand-painted designs, created by local artisans. Inspired by Jain spirituality, the nature-focused designs and palette of pastels and earthy tones make for a rather peaceful, sublime addition to otherwise OTT festive wardrobes. If your style is more indie heroine than KJo-lead, these are for you. Price range:₹ 13,000 –₹ 80,000
Photo credit: Tokree
Tokree
Like a sip of cool water on a warm day, Jaipur-based label Tokree’s designs are a welcome breath of fresh air. Their soft, sinuous designs are created using 100 per cent natural Indian fabrics like cotton, mul and silk, brocade, and chanderi (all breathable fabrics) — and they’re the kind of pieces that you can live in, lounge in and most definitely enjoy the festival of lights in. My personal favourite is the three-piece ‘Behrose Sharara.’ Price range: ₹2,000 – ₹9,000
Photo credit: Torani
Torani
Derived from Indian myths, each of Karan Torani’s pieces created using Indian textiles are woven to tell an intricate story. Check out the ‘Mogra aari waraq traditional paasa sari’ – a sheer organza sari featuring cutwork embroidery and how ethereal it looks on Sobhita Dhulipala. Price range: ₹4,000 – ₹9,000
Photo credit: Vrisa
Vrisa
With the diverse culture of the Indian states as their starting point, their handcrafted pieces include separates that you can mix and match as you please, or layer together for the uniquely distinctive Vrisa look. Their Bandhani prints are beautiful, and wearing their Bumblebee scarf with a black kurta is likely to create quite the buzz. Price range: ₹3,000 – ₹8,000
Manas Ghorai
Imagine you’re wearing a gorgeous sari, and slowly you feel it slip off from your shoulders, and as you try and tuck it tighter in your petticoat at the waist, your fingers are sweat in slick. In many parts of our country, this isn’t a figment of our imagination. The best bet for a sultry destination is the classic cotton sari. And Manas Ghorai, the Kolkata-based label incorporates tie dye and block prints on plain and printed saris. They’ll keep you cool, and if you add some chunky silver jewellery and heavy eye makeup, you might just pull of a sexy modern-day Komolika. Price on request
Photo credit: Aikeyah
Aikeyah
Parisian chic blends with the spirit of Rajasthan. Oriental shapes tussle with ancient Indian silhouettes — Isha Dhingra’s label truly epitomises the term glocal. Think a Shibori kaftan with trousers, or a lush pre-draped sari with a bedazzled belt — you don’t have to worry about proper pleats when all you gotta do is slip on your sari. Price on request
With inputs from Durdana Simran
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