The Hindu Business Line : Spinning a trendy yarn

When Nalli Next’s model sashayed down the ramp to pulsating music donning the creations of top fashion designers like Rohit Bal and Tarun Tahiliani, the Chennai silk house had taken its traditional image to a different level. Among off-shoulder gowns and patchwork lehengas, the very traditional, South Indian silk or pattu saree with an innovative touch not only stood out but also grabbed eager eyeballs.

Not just Nalli but many of Chennai’s silk saree brands that have been existing for nearly a century have been inspired to take to the ramp to promote their creations, thanks to the thirst for haute couture around the world.

While Nalli, a leader in the silk saree segment since 1928, portrayed its ‘with it’ image with fashion shows in Delhi and Bangalore (this marked the launch of the upmarket store Lavanya Nalli), its counterparts RMKV and 90 year-old Pothy’s too have ‘walked the ramp’ in Chennai.

In fact, it’s not just ramp walks that have given these traditional saree makers a modern twist. From embracing ‘designer’ patterns to employing modern technology in marketing and weaving, they have metamorphosed into couture brands, yet retaining their eternal traditional charm.

Image makeover

While wedding shoppers still make a beeline for the authentic silk sarees with zari, these saree shops have grown out of their ‘wedding shopping destination’ image. ‘Designer’ sarees being the latest trend among fashion houses in India, the Nallis and the RMKVs have also introduced an interesting range of crepes, chiffons and georgettes with sequins, kundan and embroidery, catering to the modern Indian women who want to flash the six yards for a board meeting as well as a cocktail party.

Young women who find it unwieldy to wrap a heavy silk saree are increasingly picking up lightweight trendy sarees for casual wear. So, the ‘one silk saree for Diwali’ trend has given way to the younger lot wanting to buy sarees that are hep and bring on the bling at a party. However, not wanting to deviate from their roots, some brands have merged the contemporary with traditional, creating a whole new rage of Kanchipuram pattus with sequins and kundan that is being lapped up by brides-to-be.

Online shopping

If you are getting married in the US and are wondering how you can get the best silk saree for the muhurtam and which matron in Chennai you can trust to send you something you like, then put your worries to rest. With the Chennai stores offering online shopping options, you can now buy sarees at the click of a mouse.

Lavanya Nalli, President, Nalli Group, says, “We have had our online shopping option for the last five years and it has being doing well among our NRI customers. We work on the colour correction of the sarees to the last bit, so that what customers choose is what they get. We also avoid selling double shaded sarees online because it is difficult to capture the shades with a picture.”

Advanced weaving

What has also changed over the last few decades is the weaving methodology. Silk saree houses are experimenting with new weaving techniques and fabrics.

S. Ramesh, Managing Partner of Pothy’s, says, “We have introduced the Parampara saree with an Uppada weave (the silk of the saree is traditional Kanchipuram), where we can produce one saree in 10 days; whereas earlier we used to take four to five months. Not only does this reduce our costs, but also enhances the beauty of the saree.”

Interesting innovations

Out-of-the-box thinking seems to be in, be it weaving a mythological tale on the pallu or creating a saree with myriad colours.

Sri Kumarans, another saree house in Chennai, claims to have introduced the world’s first colour-changing saree that brings out two different hues – one indoors and one outdoors and the ‘Zip and Match’ sarees that allows you to zip up various pallus to your saree to give it a completely different look. Then there is also the pocket saree, 3-D saree and denim saree. However, whether Sri Kumarans was successful in wooing the modern young woman is a different story altogether. Most people considered these gimmicks to up sales and many of these ‘innovations’ fizzled out soon.

Hit or miss, the six-yard wonder has sure come a long way!

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