Hand Painted Sarees

The question is no longer should you wear a sari, but which type? While digital print sarees have diversified colour and pattern options, true fashionistas know that the ultimate style statement isn’t just choice, but personalisation. So it’s no surprise that the hand-painted sari has created such a buzz among the film fraternity.

Soft sheer organza sarees adorned with original artistry are a firm favourite with A-list actresses like Kareena Kapoor Khan who sported a floaty mint sari with her nickname Bebo emblazoned across the pallu during her recent movie promotions.

Bollywood star and celebrity yogini Shilpa Shetty Kundra was also drawn to a similar pastel palette and was seen wearing a white sheer sari with painted watercolour floral motifs edged with gold foil detailing.

Loud and proud, Alia Bhatt prefers her passion for painting to have a bit more pizzazz. The Student of The Year actress wore a vibrant scarlet sari when she attended last year’s Durga Puja celebrations, decorated with hand-painted black flowers.

Silk sarees have also proven to be a creative canvas for sari-painters and a classic hand-painted style you’ll come across when shopping for one is the richly detailed Madhubani style that features miniature scenes and characters.

While painting your own sari is of course an option, Artist and Influencer Babbu The Painter’s Instagram feed is brimming with inspo for hand-painted apparel, you might want to go straight to the designers who are leading the trend such as Jaipur label Picchika By Urvashi Sethi, or check out Etsy for more indie designers putting the pigment into partywear.