‘There are now more silk saris than at any time in history’

Silk saris make waves

These designs include traditional temples, mango, or peacock. Jawahar R, director of PSR Silk Sarees India Private Limited, shares that his latest design was a hit. “The sari is half and half. The upper body is of a different colour and the lower in another. Even on the lower body, below the knee, we had designer buttas of mango, earrings, and more. This model was a hit,” he says.

According to him, the youngsters go for pure silk saris for weddings, festivals, and house-warming ceremonies and organza, cotton, and other mixed tissues for get-togethers, office meetings, and other events. Even for their wedding functions, they go for “traditional designs with flowers for wedding ceremony, tissue silk to add shimmer for reception, checks and stripes for Mehendi and contrast borders for Sangeet ceremonies. The in-trend colours are dark green, gold, and brownish blue. The colours worn 30 years back have come again now,” he notes.

These saris go into production by the end of April every year and are manufactured by May-end. “At PSR, we design 10 saris and send the loom to the weavers. They weave sample saris that are showcased to regular customers for opinion. Not every design is a success or a hit. Only the ones that get green signal from the clients go for mass productions,” explains Jawahar.

The final products hit the market in August, and the demand goes up to Deepavali season. The profits made here sustain the weaver’s life throughout the year, till the next demand season. Many weavers are supported by these brands. Since Palam Silks is among those businesses that set trends and standards, the weavers quickly adapt, and that is how they have sustained themselves in the industry.

The Kancheepuram weaving cluster and the silk industry collaboratively worked with the state and central government to maintain the legacy by incorporating a silk park in Kancheepuram. “It is a public limited firm. The state government has given land for this initiative. Weavers are moving out of the industry because of the lack of, not to say knowledge, but recognition. They don’t get enough recognition in society. So we want to improve the quality,” shares Vasanth.

The previous generations of weavers and customers are no longer the only ones driving the demand for silk saris. Leading brands and weavers attest that young people are actively looking for classic weaves, experimenting with drapes, and bringing back looms in their unique ways.

What used to be hidden away in moms’ and grandmothers’ closets is now making a comeback. Once only worn on special occasions, silk saris are now worn on a daily basis by the younger generation, embracing both tradition and trend.