A Sabyasachi bride

Why is Sabyasachi one of the most sought after designers for brides when it comes to their wedding outfits and trousseau saris? Why is there an unremitting demand for Sabyasachi? Why was he perfect for the show Band Baja and Bride?

Sabyasachi Mukherjee is the designer of choice for brides who aspire to be seen in wedding outfits that are so much more than just fabric. For them, Sabyasachi's creations are repositories for the precious memories of the special occasions they represent and the unique histories behind them.


A wedding is an occasion when every woman wants to exude sartorial elegance but it runs deeper than that. Clothing associated with precious moments in our lives are about more than just fabric: they are mementos of an event; they make us feel good; they connect with us at a deeper level and create new found confidence. Sabyasachi offers  eternally gorgeous wedding lenghas and saris that become heirlooms, passed to future generations and worn again for auspicious reasons. Sabyasachi creations are symbolic of their former owners: material interwoven with memories. His clothes are framed in relation to the past rather than a projected future and that is what I think makes him all the more special.

Public and private worlds are mediated through Sabyasachi’s lenghas and saris . In front of the mirror the brides create their own personal style; a Sabyasachi outfit helps them mediate their relationship with the outside world.  Sabyasachi’s creations signify memories, pull in families and link the brides to their new families, a happy future, unprecedented opportunities and limitless happiness. More than anything else it makes them feel beautiful, confident and most importantly very special on one of the most precious day of their lives. Don’t take my word for it see one of the many episodes from the  popular makeover show – Band Baja Bride on NDTV and you will know exactly what I mean!

His creations thrill the brides with their detail, astounded them with their colours and have them weeping tears of joy and goodness in equal measure.

I cannot fathom how could a bride not feel absolutely, gob smackingly, tounge hangingly, outrageously, fabulously and splendidly beautiful in a quintessential Sabyasachi red and gold lengha?

Are you a, were or going to be a Sabyasachi Bride? Would love to hear your thoughts…

Turn on your cultural antennae.

I am a Marketing professional and can’t help but wonder what is it that Sabyasachi has other than his design sensibilities that has made his brand so successful? He has clearly exemplified that one has to be a culture vulture or get eaten by the competition. To anticipate what your consumers will want in the future, you need to understand the culture that infuses their lives. He educates us on how to anticipate cultural change and use it to mobilise a brand for growth. Evolve or die. It is a sentiment that rings true more than ever before in the fashion fraternity.

The world is changing faster than ever, and as the world changes the people in it change. And when people change, what they want from the things they buy changes too. Sabyasachi Mukherjee plays a crucial role in championing that change in people’s tastes and then working towards delivering what people need. And that I think is perfect business strategy – Influence , inspire, create a demand set a trend and then fulfil the desire.
Understanding cultural change is critical. It may be amorphous and invisible, but culture is everywhere. It is part social, part political, part environmental and part physical; it makes up most of our lives. And in understanding culture, and cultural change, brands like Sabyasachi grow today and can make sure that they also keep growing tomorrow. Sabyasachi uses emerging culture as his conduit to the future – this makes sure what he offers today remains relevant and fresh. Culture answers questions that consumers sometimes cannot. For example, how is the role of fashion changing over time? What will femininity mean in India in future? Will ‘natural’ still mean the same tomorrow as it does today? This is the most important part of understanding culture.

It is where brands like Sabyasachi get their cultural vibrancy from. It is what makes brands like his feel like living, breathing parts of life and others like Juggernauts stuck in the slow lane. Sabyasachi Mukherjee’s creation works not simply through outstanding creativity or dazzling aesthetics. It is more so because they are a means to an end rather than an end itself.

His work is championing beyond a mission rather than just being champion in and of itself. It’s the good that the Sabyasachi brand does that makes it a champ. Design however, also plays a very big part. In addition the level of branding is pitched just right. Sabyasachi has good design sensibilities that does good and makes us feel good by consuming it. It starts with how design can be a vehicle for an idea, rather than the idea informing the design. It provides proof that aesthetics can be a source of brand values.

Do you think it is time for you to turn on your cultural antennae?

Please leave your views and comments below, by clicking on the comments button.

Are you in control of your clothes or do your clothes control you?

 

I am not generalising but there is an unwritten assumption that the higher your hemline the lower your IQ. Sabyasachi believes that clever women take a more considered approach towards fashion; he has always reflected the fact that clever women are not supposed to dress like tarts ;

Sabyasachi = Clean lines, sharp silhouettes and no cleavage!

A Sabyasachi outfit it is all about feeling distinctly empowering. It is about making a statement without trying too hard. It is about you being in control of the clothes rather than the clothes controlling you. It is about being and feeling modern without being a mutton. It is about being stylish without sacrificing credibility.

I think Sabyasachi has played a crucial role in the rebirth of empowering minimalism. He understands the need for clothing and the kind of clothes successful women want to be seen in. He offers them timeless investment pieces which have restrain mixed with gravitas making them very alluring. 

Of course the key ingredient of the intellectual aesthetic is fit and that is never compromised. Sabyasachi Mukherjee knows that the space between the body and the clothes is as important as the garments itself.

The notion for clever dressing has filtered down – Sabyasachi has become the ultimate destination for women who want to look sharp, sexy and smart. The ultimate empowerment is to wear something incredibly simple

So roll up all you well dressed minimalists , the really smart among you will be digging your pockets for a shot of power and sexual energy that a Sabyasachi creation will bring!

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A thought provoking message for us all...

The thoughts below are Sabyasachi's original feelings in his own words. I am just using this space as a platform to share it with all of you. It is this hardcore love for his country that makes Sabyasachi so loved and special. Do share your views and opinions after reading this post.

In Sabyasachi Mukherjee's words:

While we are at fashion week fretting about what to wear or not to wear, there is a man out there, refusing to eat, so Indians can breathe easy and live better. So if we ask the rhetoric question as to what is choking India, pat comes the reply – “corruption”. A social cancer that permeates into our very being, sparing no one.

It is a very strange malady, this corruption SOB. At a physical level it destabilizes your economy, disintegrates social fabric and just aborts development. At a much personal and deeper level it destroys you.

Have you ever been the victim of corruption? It just feels like you have been raped. To be violated for no fault or provocation is not exactly a great feeling. Worse still is the apathy you feel for yourself at not being able to stand up against this violation. You feel smaller, less empowered and over the years certain bitterness creeps in that destroys your spirit like nothing can.

A person indulging in corruption is worse than a murderer. He kills the faith of the living victim who just might pass the ‘bad karma’ around. It becomes like the ragging syndrome. If I have been infected I shall transmit. Revenge is never the right policy. It entraps you and ultimately destroys you. The best policy is to stand up and cut the link.

Today I see a country that is completely destroyed by this evil. And we have no one else to blame but ourselves. We have bred this evil and turned it into an all-encompassing Frankenstein.

And do you know why? It is because we never introspect. The average Indian has lost their connect with themselves, their value systems and more importantly their identity. Over fed with mindless unimaginative popular culture that passes off as entertainment, a corroding education system that makes you a Wikipedia without soul and a social structure that makes a, ‘whitening cream’ the next big superstar, ours is a country that is weak, insecure and lost. And you expect corruption to not set in?

When have you taken interest in your country’s history? When have you last read the Gita? When have you last felt more empowered in Indian clothing?

I am a designer. So I shall bring in my textile perspective. When Gandhiji started using khadi as a tool for social empowerment, he used it to bind Indians together. Today when I step down on the streets of an Indian metropolis like Mumbai, I don’t know where exactly I am. 

Indian clothing like any other national clothing of strong visual identity has a huge power to tie society and keep it connected. What you see is what you believe and it is important for us right now to believe that we are Indians.

I had spoken to corporate heads to declare Friday dressing as Indian dressing in national textiles. It would not only bind their employees, it would also attribute to quantitative CSR as the handloom industry can regenerate employment in the poorer sections of society.

If this was to happen, imagine the visual spectacle at Victoria terminus at nine thirty every Friday morning when a million Indian step out in Indian textiles. Every Indian heart and spirit would swell as it does on very 15th August whilst the anthem plays on. Despair would give way to hope, connectivity would be fostered, curiosity would lead to self education and education to empowerment. Pride would make a re emergence and so would inner strength. An inspired wife would then turn her corrupt husband in.

Jai Hind.

Sabyasachi Mukherjee

The haute couture ‘GURU’

Without a shadow of a doubt the closing show by my most favourite designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee at the Delhi Couture Week was to die for and a true representation of what Coture meant, and I will precisely tell you why!

I think the meaning of couture is somewhat misinterpreted in India. It gets tossed about relentlessly in an ungainly belief that everything that's a least bit fancy in the eye of the beholder automatically becomes "couture". Ethnic bridal wear is not Coutre! Couture is not just made to order high end fashion for the rich and famous. Clothes don’t earn the couture label just because they are a part of a big show, or because they cost an obscene amount of money. In a industry where couture is often sacrificed and misinterpreted on the catwalk on big shows like the Delhi Couture Week, Sabyasachi Mukherjee might as well be a heretic.


Sabyasachi's closing show at DCW clearly upholded the true meaning of couture in the middle of irreverent usage. Discreetly, almost imperceptibly, he has re-seeded haute couture back in the scene at the end of the show, without any artificial insemination.

The meticulous master making sure everything is perfect prior to the show

I found this press release on line which beautifully explains what Sabyasachi's show New Moon was about. To be honest this press release is written so well I think it will be pointless for me to try writing another one.

Here it goes:
Sabyasachi's travels around the world have culminated in his 2012 couture collection. Five cities bring five flavours. The straitjacket discipline of New York, the classic nostalgia of the British Raj in Kolkata, the subversive decadence of Berlin, the incredible romance of Paris and
the bohemian flair of Barcelona all come together to create a collection that is very global yet very Indian. Russian needlepoint, boutis from Provence, Zardosi from Agra, Kantha from Bangladesh, block-printing from Bengal and Rajasthan, intricately embroidered Pashmina from Kashmir, chintz from the U.K. and toile de joi from France coexist with rhinestones, baubles, bows, and the finest quality of needlecraft to create a collection that is exuberant yet disciplined. Accessories for the collection are from Sabyasachi's new edgy label, Sabyasachi by Sabyasachi which debuted in Sotheby's London.


Need I say any more? I don't think so.

Sabyasachi ..... Anek Anek bhalo basha
( it means lots of love in Bengali)

A perfect embodiment of less is more!

The glamours fashion industry is in the business of creating moments out of moods, and trends from the temporal. And Sabyasachi does this effortlessly time and time again to lure us into his new, exotic and extraordinary creations.

I am not sure if you could call me a fashion maven as I am not a big fan of complicated and confusing silhouettes. A lot of frou-foru simply does not work for me; ruffles, frills, feathers, fringe etc  just does not tickle my taste buds and I guess that is why I am so in love with what Sabyasachi offers. Simple, uncomplicated, elegant and timeless clothes which can make one feel beautiful no matter who they are.

Since having been introduced to Sabyasachi Mukherjee’s creations I have started to understand and appreciate the art of fashion - the construction, the lines, the drape, the statement. Clothes that tell a story, define elegance and are of impeccable taste. Drapes that are crated with ultimate artistry, giving women something they could live in bringing minimalism to a new, chic level. For over a decade now he has provided us with understated sleek, sensitively embellished, muted colours silhouettes; something we all turn to when the mood calls for restraint. Sabyasachi Mukherjee has manoeuvred the Indian fashion scene in a completely different direction developing a ‘new austerity’ in fashion.

He epitomises the holy grail of timeless classic and simplicity, clothes that embodies the modern uncongenial woman . He has set the standard for the exercise of restrain.  In many ways Sabyasachi has made us re-examine our lives. He has started a crusade to promote minimalism that is all about quality, desirability, pragmatic tailoring, minimal adornment and femininity.

Although Sabyasachi has been dominating the fashion scene for over a decade now, his creations always have the same focal point. His brand has worked hard to deliver his aspirational vision. For him reductivism has been a means of progress and innovation.To grow by leaps and bounds in this competitive fashion industry for over a decade undoubtedly makes Sabyasachi Mukherjee a rare breed indeed.

With Sabyasachi Mukherjee minimalism continues to slowly grow in popularity. Less in the new more!

What do you think?

Please leave your views and comments by clicking on the comments button under the post.

Sabyasachi Mukherjee and Vidya Balan : A not so Dirty Picture,Mashallah!

How could I write a blog about Sabyasachi and not talk about the magical transformation of Vidya Balan? The critics have been rather unkind about Vidya’s appearances in the past, though things changed for good now that Sabyasachi has taken her under his wing and transformed her into this gorgeous, stunning, glowing, radiant goddess! 

Sabyasachi works for Vidya because when Vidya wears a Sabyasachi outfit it does not look bolted on. There is an intelligent, playful tone and an inherent confidence , which connects with Vidya’s personality. It feels like an output of an enthusiast. One gets a sense of genuine pleasure being taken. You can’t fake this stuff, when it’s real you can almost feel it.

It is evident that Vidya Balan is comfortable in a Sabyasachi creation, she exudes confidence and sensuality. She does not hide behind the clothes, she comes across as someone real, someone who is comfortable in their own skin. What is most commendable is how a Sabyasachi outfit shines and demands attention without overshadowing Vidya’s beauty.

Sabyasachi Mukherjee’s and Vidya Balan’s partnership goes back to 2009 when he dressed her for the film Paa.

In an interview this is what Sabyasachi  Mukherjee had to say:

"Vidya Balan was in a crisis, everyone was panning her choice of clothes. Vidya doesn't flaunt herself like a girl. We agreed that saris and salwar kameezes would work best. Vidya admitted to having a fetish for cotton saris. "I wanted to create the impression that she couldn't be replaced by another actress. I couldn't let her fall into the clone trap. She lands in danger zone if she is pushed into looking like someone she is not..  "In Paa, I made Vidya wear 700 cotton saris. In No One Killed Jessica, I decided on understated kurtas and jeans. Nobody noticed what she wore. She shot for Kahaani in four outfits I picked up from Gap, Banana Republic and Anokhi. She runs through the film in maternity wear. She's an actor. Does anyone care what Meryl Streep wears?"

In my eyes Sabyasachi can do no wrong. With Vidya, Sabyasachi has shown the world that curves can be very sexy and the sari the most stunning fashion alternative for women. Sabyasachi likes to keep things simple and this is what he did with Vidya  which worked wonders for both of them. I am not sure why critics keep moaning about Vidya’s style being repetitive. if she looks beautiful , feels comfortable and turns heads in a Sabyasachi outfit why would she not repeat it? Would the critics not want to look and feel beautiful every day?

As pictures speak louder than words here are some stunning photos of Vidya Balan in Sabyasachi outfits.

The magic formula:

Vidya Balan in a Sabyasachi Mukherjee creation = Beautiful + Stunning + Feminine + Confident + Timeless + Gorgeous + Addictive

Do you agree? Leave your comments and thoughts :)