01 April,2011 09:05 AM IST | | Prachi Sibal
You don't have to take a flight to Chennai to shop for authentic Kanjeevaram sarees this ugadi. An online store offers an exhaustive range in silk and cotton, bolder and with contemporary zing, for the young woman
Whoever said Kanjeevarams were not in vogue needs to log onto a parisera.com, an online store that presents the traditional South Indian saree, reinterpreted for the young woman.
Ahalya S
Named after Kanchipuram, a small town 76 kms from Chennai, these sarees are characterised by bold colours and zari work along the border and pallu woven in gold-dipped silver threads. Usually seen as heavy, traditional garb (think Rekha at film award functions), the Kanjeevaram has been given a younger look by Chennai-based jewellery designer Ahalya S.
Her online store retails an exhaustive range of Kanjeevarams (there were 367 designs when we logged in) in silk and cotton ranging from $61 (R 2,730 approx.) to $967 (R 43,282). "We stick to traditional motifs but stay away from the overtly heavy feel that a Kanjeevaram is associated with," says Ahalya, who also retails a line of jewellery under the label Rasvihar on the same site.
Breaking clich ufffds that characterise Kanjeevarams available at garment stores, these go bolder with the use of contrasts. But Ahalya has refrained from meddling with the blue print; all she isu00a0 keen to do is make the traditional varieties more wearable. "I work with weavers who have been practicing the craft for years.
Decades of experience makes the weaver a designer himself, if you know what I mean," says Ahalya about the Sarangi range of sarees that offer comfortable cottons for work and heavy formals for bridal trousseaus.
The website is user-friendly and lets you browse options with ease. You can sort the range by price, border design, and name. Each design carries a profile picture, including more views of the blouse, border, and pallu. Delivery is promised within seven working days.
What's a bit incovenient (other than price in dollars, unless Ahalya is aiming the site only at NRIs) is the payment mode. Parisera accepts payments only through PayPal accounts, demand drafts, money orders, cheques and direct cash deposits at select banks. We'd think an online store that prides itself in modernising what's deeply traditional would offer GenY's preferred use of paymentu00a0-- the credit card.
Log on towww.parisera.com
