Palak Shah Brings a Fresh Vision to the Sari with Ekaya Banaras
From animal prints to unexpected textures, this collection explores how far the sari...
Palak Shah takes the sari in a new direction with her latest Ekaya Banaras collection. My Saree, My Drape is both a reflection of her roots and a bold experiment with its form and style. Growing up in Banaras, Shah was immersed in a city where textiles are a living language. The looms hum through streets, and sari carry generations of stories. For her, “the saree is more than tradition, it is memory, identity, and love.”
This first designer edit introduces bold experimentation while paying tribute to Banarasi craftsmanship. Shah asks, “How do we make people fall in love with the saree again? How do we inspire them to wear it more? How do we spark a saree revolution?” The answer comes in playful, unexpected forms: animal print sarees, including cowhide and handwoven cheetah motifs on pure Habutai silk, alongside polka dots, stripes, lace blouses, and shades like butter yellow and mocha mousse.
“I’ve always loved the cowhide print, and I thought, why not reimagine it in a saree?” Shah says in an Instagram post. The collection isn’t about showcasing mastery, but about envisioning “where Banarsis can go.” It challenges conventional aesthetics while remaining rooted in craft, creating sarees that feel contemporary without erasing their cultural lineage.
“Rules are made for those who want to stick by them, and we don’t. We have fun with the saree,” Shah notes. This collection encourages wearers to do the same: to style it their way, bend the drape, and make the sari their own.
My Saree, My Drape is, ultimately, an exploration a reflection of Shah herself, her experiences, and her vision for a sari that is living, evolving, and endlessly adaptable. It invites a reconsideration of tradition, showing that heritage and modernity can coexist in unexpected, striking ways. The collection introduces a fresh perspective on the sari, blending traditional craftsmanship with contemporary aesthetics. Shah invites wearers to experiment, express, and redefine what the sari means to them.