Navratri is Fashion Week for us. We can take out our funnest and finest and go after over-the-top looks for a few days every year.
The dress code might be desi. But the world is your oyster when it comes to revamping ethnic into fusion -- bandeaus (originally French) can become cholis,angrez gowns flip over into lehenga-blouse ensembles and coats of any length have a berth.
Arpita Mehta, who has designed for Kareena Kapoor Khan, Deepika Padukone, Sonam Kapoor, Alia Bhatt among others, employs a few of these tricks in her lookbook of gutsy fashion choices for the season of nine nights.
Photographs: Kind courtesy Arpita Mehta/Instagram
With Silver Bells And Cockleshells be the Rani of cool-girl chic in a cape and pants.
Arpita describes it as thus: 'Free-flowing, easy-breezy, comfy and makes for an absolute no-brainer look for the festive season'.
Note: The silhouette is good for every body type and because of the happening print you require only a few metallic accessories to dress it up or down.
The sari-lehenga hybrid: Does it work?
The chiffon sari has a printed yellow drape with twisting swirls. The flirty element is the gaudy bustier.
The is-it-there-isn't-it-there blouse is the scene stealer.
A bling-less ruffled sari and that excuse for a choli is all you need swipe a few hearts.
And heaps of mascara.
Part gypsy. Part bandit. Badass for sure. That's what the red bandhani head scarf, high-low ruffle top with same-fabric kite pants/dhoti does for her
There are sound reasons to choose yellow or haldi-hued costumes: The colour stands for sanctity, sensuality, victory and pureness in our culture.
So during Navratri 2022 make yellow your own. Be it via a sari. Or be it in a cape+sharara like this lovely lass.
The bridal white organza lehenga luxuriates in its plainness because it's in a tag team with the rich rabdi-coloured hand-embroidered jacket.
