The sari soiree

GAURANG SHAH

A home converted to a boutique and packed with an exclusive sari collection in its nook and cranny is fashion designer Gaurang Shah’s latest labour of creativity. A garden to rest your aching soles is a winner of the store located at the upmarket Jubilee Hills neighbourhood. Launched barely a couple of months ago, Gaurang Shah’s designer label store, Gaurang offers jamdhani saris crafted with a mélange of fabrics and just an inch of the intricate patterns on some of these pieces takes up to a day to weave. The store reflects the earthy ethos of Shah’s designs. Hand painted Andhra motifs grace the arches and brass urlis— large circular container filled with water to float flowers— gives warmth to the space. The staff is willing and helpful and you can chat with them to find out more about the weaving techniques while you browse through the designs. The boutique is also filled with surprises like a cotton sari with a jamdhani weave pallu or a Kota silk sari with a broad raw silk border. Designing broad borders is Shah’s signature style and since the pallu is usually pleated to fall behind, the attention is immediately drawn to the beauti- ful front of the sari. INSIDER’S TIP If you like a sari design but would like to have that on a dupatta or vice versa, it can be done, provided you are ready to wait for a few weeks or even months sometimes! MUST PICK Gaurang’s jamdhani on khadi dupattas AT Road No 59, Jubilee Hills TEL 9849697095