Actor Alia Bhatt just gave us a new way to wear a sari, and it involves a whole lot of jewellery. At the premiere of Ranbir Kapoor’s upcoming film Ramayana, the actor paired a simple linen sari with a backless blouse made entirely of antique jewellery. And this wasn’t something that came together overnight. The custom piece by Rimple & Harpreet Narula took 150 hours to put together, making it quite the statement.
The sari, from Anavila’s eponymous label, was made in pure linen and featured a chambray effect, created by weaving two different coloured threads, including indigo. Bright blue borders added a pop of colour to the otherwise understated drape. But the real conversation starter was the blouse. Designed to look more like a piece of jewellery than something you would traditionally pair with a sari, the backless, bikini-inspired number featured antique-finish Afghani and North-West Frontier jewellery. Think metal chains, traditional pendants, old coins, coloured stones, beads and dangling charms, all brought together in one rather striking piece.
The designers sourced the jewellery from antique dealers, while their team at RAH, their jewellery label, put together pieces inspired by the traditions of Afghanistan and the North-West Frontier. Instead of treating the jewellery as embellishment on a finished blouse, they made it the blouse itself. Every element had to come together without losing its individual character. Artisans are said to have spent 150 hours over ten days assembling the pieces, turning traditional jewellery into something that feels entirely at home with contemporary dressing. The result? A familiar sari-and-blouse combination that looks anything but usual.
The rest of the styling kept things relatively fuss-free, letting the blouse do most of the talking. Makeup artist Mickey Contractor went with nude tones, while hairstylist Hrishikesh Naskar left Bhatt’s hair loose.
Stylist Rhea Kapoor added oversized turquoise-studded earrings from her mother Sunita Kapoor’s collection. She finished the look with Kolhapuri-inspired block-heeled toe-ring sandals by Aprajita Toor, giving the outfit another interesting detail without taking away from its standout piece.