It’s been a few months since I moved from the US to become MissMalini’s Fashion & Beauty Director. As anyone would expect when migrating to a new country, I’ve experienced a wide range of emotions: utter joy every time I eat Dahi Batata Puri, fomo when discontinued bank notes meant I couldn’t meet up for drinks, slight fear every time I cross the road—see the range here? However, the most overwhelming emotion I’ve felt since moving to India is desire—The desire to wear a sari. Since I landed in Chhatrapati Airport, I can’t help but scan women from head to toe, taking in every detail of their vibrant ensemble—Expertly pleated fabric folded into skirts so snugly it won’t come undone, elaborate handwork on floor-skimming hems, enticing crop tops that reveal just a hint of skin. Everything about this style exudes elegance. Not just the sari itself, but the finishing touches that compliment this traditional look—From clusters of stacked gold bangles, right down to an individualistic bindi resting between kohl-rimmed eyes. And don’t even get me started on mehendi!
Needless to say, I was thrilled when I was recently invited to my first wedding in India. Being such a newbie, I enlisted the help of my friend Abhishek Gala, Managing Director of Enoya who dressed me in a glamorous black sari with intricate gold beading. I’m never one to consider myself graceful, but I was transformed the second that georgette draped across my shoulder. The luxurious cloth demanded an aura with which I carried myself. And for one night, I felt like the glamorous Bollywood beauty that we at MissMalini so often write about.
Check out my look below, as well as my top sari’s of the season:
1. Case in point—this gorgeous JJ Valaya sari. We can’t take our eyes off her either!
2. A waist tie over a draped sari—like Anita Dongre here—is a quick and easy update on this traditional look.
3. Anavila proves that saris—like this linen number—need not be made of embroidered georgette to look chic.
4. Payal Khandwala gives us not-so-girly-girls an equally stylish option with this sari over trousers.
5. Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla’s monochromatic white sari is nothing short of ethereal.
6. Kavita Bhartia adds intrigue to an otherwise ordinary choli with a contrast collar.
7. Manish Arora refashions a conventional sari into an edgy badge of honor.
8. Mixing and matching gilded prints—like Ritu Kumar’s sari here—never looked so good.
9. Sabyasachi makes a case for cold-weather sari dressing with this velvet blouse trimmed in fur.
10. Manish Malhotra’s layered bell sleeves may steal the show, but the unique drape of this sari cannot be overlooked.
Here’s the Enoya sari I chose for the wedding.
Which is your favourite sari? Tell us in the comments below!