Saris: No Longer Under Wraps

SHE came, she saw, she wore.

Lady Gaga's maiden trip to India last October was as much about her wardrobe as her music. But instead of her usual outlandish get-ups, she appeared onstage near New Delhi in a sparkly ivory-colored sari by the Indian designer Tarun Tahiliani.

She added her own touch, of course: ripping it off to reveal a tight bodysuit, black fishnet stockings and black Louboutin boots - “to make it a little bit more New York,” she told the crowd.

Lady Gaga was on to something. Reigning Bollywood movie stars, stylish “It” girls, middle-age housewives and other fashionable women throughout India are giving the traditional sari a new look.

Last year, Sonam Kapoor, a 27-year-old Bollywood actress known for her fashion sensibility, made headlines at the when she donned a polka-dot sari with a revealing back. “Bringing sexy back,” declared Miss Malini, a popular Mumbai party blog.

Sonia Gandhi, the head of India's Congress Party who is not known for making sartorial waves, wore a bright green sari by Raw Mango, a chic New Delhi label, to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's home in July.

Whether it's a ritzy art opening, high-powered benefit or, perhaps most telling of all, a big fat Indian wedding, it's no longer uncommon to see pretty young women wearing sexier saris to accentuate their trim figures.

Energizing the sari revival are a handful of young designers in New Delhi and Mumbai, among them Masaba Gupta, Shivan & Narresh, Gaurav Gupta and Amit Aggarwal. They are reinterpreting the millennia-old garb for a new generation of stylish women.

The typical Indian sari is six yards of unstitched cloth tucked into a petticoat, with one end draped over the shoulder, according to Rta Kapur Chisti, writing in her encyclopedic book “Saris.” Worn by maharanis and maids alike, this style has not wavered, although regional variations continue to thrive. Indeed, Ms. Chisti counts at least 108 ways to drape and wear a sari.

Younger designers have abandoned these conventions and are playing with what was once sacrosanct, innovating with contemporary materials, structure and embellishments like belts and pockets.

Ms. Gupta, a 23-year-old designer from Mumbai (and daughter of an Indian television actor and a West Indies cricket captain), uses cotton prints with Pop-Art-like patterns of bulls and cameras, to create youthful looks. She also uses bold color blocking, trades the petticoat for palazzo pants and moves the pleats from the front to back.

The 20-something design duo Shivan Bhatiya and Narresh Kukreja were noticed on the New Delhi party circuit for something called a “bikini sari.” Using Lycra instead of silk or cotton, the designers sought to solve an everywoman's dilemma: how to cover up the unsightly bits while accentuating the positive. “Indian women have fuller hips and busts but smaller torsos,” Mr. Bhatiya said.

Raw Mango, under the talented Sanjay Garg, has revived interest in handwoven paisley and circular weaves from the Indian areas of Chanderi and Benares.

It helps that Bollywood glamour has turned its wattage on the sari. Until a few years ago, actors preferred Western attire, and red-carpet appearances were all about long fishtail gowns, not unlike what is worn in Los Angeles and New York. But in a dramatic shift, Bollywood actresses now regularly appear at their premieres draped in glittery and modern-looking saris.

“Saris command more respect than a gown,” said the designer Suneet Verma, who represents a more established set of Indian fashion houses, known for their elegant, richly textured saris long favored by India's upper crust.

Others designers of this ilk include Tarun Tahiliani, Rohit Bal, Manish Malhotra and Sabyasachi, with saris priced at upward of 35,000 rupees (about $650).

The new, trendier saris can be more democratic in price, some starting as low as 7,000 rupees (about $130). Saris have other benefits, too. “There's no size issue and you look taller and slimmer in a sari,” said Pernia Quereshi, a 27-year-old stylist and designer from New Delhi, who has a new online store, Pernia's Pop-Up Shop.

Like many fashionable boutiques in Mumbai and New Delhi, the online store carries an array of saris from young and more established designers in a variety of colors, fabrics and innovative cuts. There are even saris that are pre-stitched: instead of a loose cloth, these saris have pleats, over-the-shoulder drapes and pockets that are sewn into place.

The sari's allure is not limited to India. Western designers have been inspired by it through the decades. In 2011, Hermès created a limited-edited sari line in understated mousseline, cashmere and silk. Before that, Valentino flirted with saris in the 1960s, designing a sari-inspired dress for Jackie O. and, later, for Jennifer Lopez. Four years ago, Jean Paul Gaultier designed a simple, almost peasant-looking sari in shades of pumpkin and brown that seemed to reflect the economic downturn.

While traditionalists may pause at these modern interpretations, updating the ancient garment reaffirms its relevance to a younger audience.

“The sari suddenly became a super sexy garment,” said Mr. Tahiliani, the Gaga sari designer. “It gives you license to be as revealing or covered up as you want. It can inhabit your grandmother's world or the world of a Versace dress.”