BENGALURU: The festive vibe is buzzing in the city as the Malayali community in Bengaluru gears up for Onam on Sunday. Apart from making last-minute preparations for the highlight, the delicious spread of Onasadhya, women are also pulling no stops to pull off a different look with the traditional Kasavu saree – synonymous with the occasion.
But why stick to the conventional way of draping it when the number of styles one can come up with is more than just one?
Take, for instance, Rose Mary, a fashion curator, who will be pairing the Kasavu saree with a shirt. Sounds quite unusual at first but she is confident of carrying it off with ease.
“Besides the classic traditional saree-blouse combo, I love wearing it with a shirt, which gives an easy-breezy feel. I improvise it with a baggy shirt or crop top,” says Mary, who will be wearing a black saree with a white border and including some gold to have all the Onam colours.
For entrepreneur Susan Sunny, Kasavu sarees hold much significance not just during Onam but throughout the year. “This year, I am going in for an indo-edgy look. I will be pairing the saree with a black sports bra, a heavy choker and mallipoo (jasmine) in my hair, glass bangles and closed shoes. I will sign off the whole look with an unexpected pop of green in the form of my bag,” says Sunny, whose go-to style for a Kasavu saree is ‘maximalist’. She adds, “The saree is a beautiful and bare canvas to highlight anything and everything you want.”
The popularity of this harvest festival has gone beyond the Malayali community and many non-Malayalis are interpreting the Kasavu saree in their own way. Ambika Nair, a Gujarati who was born and raised in Kolkata and is now married to a Malayali, includes all the cultures she has been exposed to in her dressing.
“I always wear it with a twist – with a touch of embroidery or adding Gujarati-style lace to it to make it different. This year I am going to wear a Kasavu saree with hand-painted Gond art on it. I also like playing around with blouses by having a lot of embroidery and mirror work on them,” says Nair, as she preps for the sadhya.
One of the important parts of putting together any look is accessories. It holds true for a Kasavu saree as well. “Accessories play a very important part especially if you are going in for a contemporary look. There are mango malas you could add to get the traditional look. When you are trying to make it contemporary, opt for minimal jewellery,” says Anjali Arjun, a techie, who also suggests using a belt to put the look together.