Elegant Bridal Collections at Aavaranaa

A wedding ceremony has a number of rituals and customs, each symbolic of beautiful and noble sentiments. South Indian wedding traditions and ceremonies are no exception. When compared with the typical North Indian wedding, a South Indian wedding is a tad toned down but none the simpler! One of the important parts of the weeding is shopping for all the essential things that will be required, including the Bridal Saree. The colors of these sarees are usually dark and come with a wide golden border. Aavaranaa the exclusive designer silk boutique swanks of a collection of bridal silk sarees for the gramd South Indian wedding. Customers can choose from an array of Kanchipuram pure silks and light silks sarees that are custom-made for the wedding seasons.

A notable saree in this collection comes in an earthy dark green hue. Made from pure Kanchipuram silk, this saree comes with a broad border with intricate zari works in golden treads accompanied by an abstract design in a maroon shade in-between. The saree in styled with simple abstract zari works at regular intervals. The pallu reflects the designing of the border and imitates an even elaborate zari work with abstract designs of maroon in-between. The saree is priced at Rs13400/-

Understanding the needs of the typical South Indian wedding, Aavaranaa also offers a collection of sarees for the family. One can choose from materials ranging from the natural tussar to the alluring organza, from the perpetual Kanchipuram to the equally dear uppada. The store also houses garments ranging from the sensuous bagalpurs to the stunning and mellifluous mutkas. A notable saree comes in a light weight, hand woven kanchi silk material, woven in the 1/2 & 1/2 fashion with pink on the top half and a vibrant yellow at the bottom half, designed with small floral prints; combined with a plan yellow blouse the saree epitomizes grace and elegance

Besides sarees, Aavaranaa also houses a collection of retro designed salwars for all occasions.

- Contributed by Soorya Krishna, Head Designer - Aavaranaa Boutique

The Basics- How to drape a saree!

I think this blog would be incomplete if I didn't post any information on how to drape a saree. After all, whats the point of owning a saree if you don't now how to drape it!

Of all the clothes we women wear, I think the saree is the most challenging to us. Owning an exclusive saree boutique in Alwarpet, I often meet women who come in to buy a saree for that special occasion but are still not sure of how to wear one. This is more so true in the case of youngsters who are either in college or on their first jobs. Whenever asked for advice on how to wear one, I often reply asking what style would suit them. Pleasantly surprised, they often ask me for the easiest methods.

There are many styles of draping a saree, around 10 to 15 or so and each one is practiced somewhere or the other in the country. For reasons of simplicity, lets stick to the basics - the common traditional draping style:

Before you start make sure that the petticoat or underskirt is tied tightly at the waist using a drawstring. Elastics, thought easy to wear may not be able the carry the weight of the saree for long and will require constant adjustments. The color of the petticoat should match that of the saree as closely as possible.

Select a blouse that’s fits you well but is still comfortable. Make sure that the blouse goes along with the color of the saree you choose to wear. Again, the blouse you choose can change the look of your saree so do keep in mind the way you’ll look in that specific cut you select. Have a look at my post on blouses for more ideas. Now that we’ve got that sorted out, lets tackle the saree.

Step 1: Around your body. Starting at the navel, tuck the plain end of the saree into the petticoat and continue tucking till you take a complete turn from right to left. Adjust the lower end of the saree to the height required. Ideally wear your footwear so that you drape the saree to the right length.

Step 2: Measuring the pallu. Hold the top edge of the saree where the pallu is and bring it around your hips to the front and over your left shoulder, thus measuring the length of the pallav or pallu. The pallav should hang down the back to the knee. You may pin your pallu to your sari blouse provisionally.

Step 3: Making pleats. Create pleats with the saree. Make about 7 to 10 pleats and hold them up together so that they fall straight and even. Tuck the pleats into the waist petticoat slightly to the left of the navel, taking care to see that the pleats are turned towards the left.

Step 4: The pallu. The remaining portion of the saree must be turned once around the body and then draped over the left shoulder. Arrange the pleats on this part of the saree and then pin them up on the left shoulder to prevent the pallu from falling off.

Once you get accustomed with the basics, start to experiment with different draping styles at home. You can really be innovative with six yards of fabric . Drape it up in different styles and pep up the look with a variety of accessories or select a unique blouse that can be matched with various sarees. The options are many but it all comes down to what you’re comfortable with.

If you live in Chennai, feel free to walk into my store, Aavarnaa Boutique. I'd be more than happy to help you out with the intricacies of draping and anything else related to sarees. Aavaranaa is located at #15, Ashoka Street, Alwarpet. You could also log on to www.aavaranaa.com for more information.

Contributed by Ms. Soorya Krishna, Head Designer - Aavaranaa

Its good to be here! :)

Finally, all of you who love the kind of designs Aavaranaa creates can connect directly with us both on facebook and blogger. As my first post here, I'd like to share a recent contributory article I had written for www.chennaionline.com. Hope you enjoy reading this and do come back for more fun stuff...

- Vijayalakshmi Krishna & Soorya Krishna

Eternally in vogue

If you thought the saree was just another six yards of fabric, then think again! The saree is the only garment in the world to have been perpetually fashionable through the ages. Constantly reinvented and redesigned, the saree has always pushed the boundaries of fashion further and further.

This season, the saree comes in yet another new trend designed to appeal to the women of today. The latest in the world of sarees to look out for is a half and half design. Presented in two rich shades, one color on the top half of the saree and a different one on the bottom half or the pallu. This new design is available in Kancheepuram silks and cottons. With intricate designing on the entire saree or the pallu alone, these sarees come in contrasting colors.

Displayed along side is a silk saree woven in a horizontally divided design. The top half is plain olive green. The bottom half pallav and blouse is woven in zari with the age-old rudraksham design along with a simple border. The intricate rudraksham design is woven in a gold tread on a deep pink background and gives the saree a grand feel. The intricate rudraksham designs are woven in gold tread and give the saree a grand feel. Together the colors and designs become a perfect blend of tradition and culture in a modern trend.

Also in vogue this season are theme sarees. Available in a variety of shades these sarees are designed with prints or embroidery work that display a certain extract from various epics, legends and folklore. With the approaching monsoon, peacock colors and designs are the theme. These sarees are usually available in cotton and tussar with appliqué work, embroidery work or both on them. They also came in prints of natural dyes. These are either hand printed or block printed and depict popular themes like stories from the Ramayana or seasonal themes like peacocks dancing before the rains.

To add to this magic of the half and half designs are designer blouses. The concept of designer blouses has caught up fast with saree enthusiasts. These blouses are designed with heavy embroidery and print designs and come in a wide range of patterns, from floral prints to embroidered designs of peacocks and abstract patterns. The uniqueness of designer blouses is that they can be combined with a simple or plane saree to achieve a stunning look. Displayed in the picture is a deep pink zari strapless blouse with small hand printed floral designs and intricate embroidery work. This designer blouse is in contrast with the plain olive green of the top half of this saree and compliments the deep pink of the bottom half. Together the designer blouse and the saree create a unique, chic and sensual look. A similar look can be achieved by combining a simple and plain blouse with a half and half saree that has designs on both halves.

Fashion in ethnic wear is all about experimenting with new concepts. In the world of fashion, change is the only constant, but as far as the saree is concerned, the ethnic appeal of these 6 yards of fabric is still the top favorites among many Indian women, and will be so for a long time to come.

- Vijayalakshmi Krishna, Managing Partner - Aavaranaa

Aavaranaa is on facebook!!

Now we have yet another reason to celebrate, Aavaranaa, the ethnic saree boutique has now come to facebook! Having created a presence online, Aavaranaa is now looking forward to a lot of interactions with their patrons and other designers. The facebook page will also serve as a platform for people to interact with the designers of Aavaranaa and share ideas and suggestions. You can connect with Aavaranaa on facebook @ www.facebook.com

Facebook profile: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/profile.php?id=1834632985&ref=profile

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/pages/Chennai-India/Aavaranaa-Boutique/87748143681

Summer ethnic wear for the college - goers

Summer this year round is all about vibrant colours, warm shades, floral designs and comfortable attire. Aavaranaa, the exclusive ethnic boutique in Alwarpet educates on how the youth can sport the trendiest of all looks every day to college. Simple clothing with just a dash of ethnicity speaks about Aavaranaa’s latest summer collection this year. So if you’re looking for something different than the common jeans and t-shirts, here’s an option for you. With a wide range of salwar suits to choose from and materials ranging from simple cottons to kota cotton, chiffon, and the elegant silks, Aavaranaa boasts of a collection of unique salwars for all occasions.

The zebra collection is worth mentioning here, an interesting collection inspired by zebra lines, the array of salwars here have a contrasting top and bottom, and come with a dupatta that sports two colors, one for the top and bottom along with the black & white zebra lines. Together, the colors and patterns form a very trendy dupatta which enhances the look of the salwar.

Whites are the ever trendy colour of summer and Aavaranaa introduces them with a twist! Made especially for the summer, these salwar suits come in shades like beige whites and creams with two-tone pants and a similar dupatta. These are good choices for daily wear in summer as the colours are pastel and bright at the same time. Available in lights colours of baby pink and light blue, the collection is hip and sensual.

Also available at the store are kalamkari appliqués and a neckline collection. The kalamkari appliqué salwar sets are for the dressier occasions in summer. These come in slightly earthy shades like maroon, earthy green and orange. These salwars have hand painted kalamkari motifs appliquéd on cotton depicting various designs and extracts from various epics, a truly Indian collection. On the other hand, the neckline collection boasts of exquisitely designed necklines on a plain or simple designed salwar with a block printed bottom and dupatta.

Aavaranaa also houses an Organdy Colors collection. Organdy suits are rich ones and quite apt for festivities. Contrary to what most people think, an Organdy is easy to maintain. They come with inner linings and when washed without starch, the Organdy suits turn as soft as cotton. These suits usually have small sparkles of mirror that provide a soft but rich look. Organdy salwars come in unusual combos like khakhi and majenta, yellow and beige, purple and black and similar shades.

Among all the ethnic attire, salwars are the most comfortable during summer as they are not heavy and can breathe easily keeping you dry all day round. Youngsters often prefer a salwar when it comes to ethnic attire as they are easy to pull on and carry off and can be just as stylish as a sarees. Besides, they often find salwars easier to manage. So shed those jeans and t-shirts and go ethnic today, the Aavaranaa way!

Contributed by Aavaranaa Boutique, No. 15th, Ashoka Street, Alwarpet, Chennai. Ph # +91 44 24988292

Narrating stories through sarees!

Did you ever occur to you that a saree could help you narrate stories? Well, they actually can! Aavaranaa conducted an event some time back on such sarees. The event was called "Swamy Katha" which means "Stories about the Gods" and was aimed at creating awareness about the concept of story telling through sarees. According to Vijayalakshmi, Managing Partner of Aavaranaa, during the older days, sarees were actually used to narrate stories to young ones! It was a great way of spending quality time with your loved ones. Sadly, our modern lifestyle has changed all that. Now days the only time we gets to spend time together is when dinner is served in front of the telly! Showing their support and promoting the concept of re-instill this old tradition in us was the famous celebrity couple Yugendran & Malini.
Above, is the picture of one of the sarees from the collection. The story described here is 'Sita's Swayamvar' - the ceremony where she choose her husband. I've described the story below. If this interests you, then you may want to step into Aavaranaa and take a look at the whole collection! Aavaranaa is located at 15 ashoka Street, Alwarpet, Chennai. Ph#: +91 44 24988292. You can also check them out at www.aavaranaa.com


Sita's Swayamvar:

One day Vishwamitra, the sage, received an invitation from King Janak, ruler of Janakpur, to attend the Swayamvar (choosing of groom) ceremony of his daughter, Sita. Kings, princes and sages from all over were invited to attend the ceremony to win the hand of the beautiful princess. Vishwamitra asked Rama and Lakshman to accompany him, and so the three set out for Janakpur, stopping on the way to take a dip in the holy river Ganga and finally reached the beautiful kingdom of Janakpur.

King Janak himself welcomed the sage. Vishwamitra introduced Rama and Lakshman to the King as the brave and divine sons of King Dashrath. Later on the brothers set out to visit the kingdom when they chanced upon Sita in a temple. Rama was immediately enraptured by her beauty, and Sita, in turn, fell in love with Rama. She prayed that she be wed to Rama.
Soon, the Swayamvara ceremony was held. A large, heavy bow of Lord Shiva, was placed in the center of the swayamvara hall, and Lord Janak announced that the person who managed to string the bow would win the hand of the fair Sita. The ceremony was open to all, and one by one every man in the room tried his hand at stringing the bow,the princes from various states and kingdom tried their luck in attempting to lift and break the Bow of Shiva. But it was not possible! Even the most powerful amongst all the kings, the great Ravana of Lanka could not even move the bow one inch above the ground!

Then all the kings collectively tried to lift the bow, but they still did not succeed. King Janak was now confronted with the prospect of Sita remaining unmarried, and he was overwhelmed with worry.

Finally, it was Lord Rama's turn. As he walked towards the bow, and Sita's heart sank, sure that if such rugged and brave Kings could not even lift the bow, then the young and slender Rama would surely fail to do so as well. But Rama said a prayer and in one breath lifted the bow, strung it, and broke it into two with a thundering sound. Everyone was astounded and immediately broke into cheers. Sita then walked up to Lord Rama and placed a garland around his neck.

This, however, made King Ravana jealous and insulted, and he vowed to defeat Rama some day if the opportunity arose.

Thus, in a most wonderful setting, the auspicious marriage of Rama and Sita took place. Along with Rama, his three brothers also got married to the three sisters of Sita; and four sons of King Dasharatha married four daughters of King Janaka!

Summer Dressing Tips

Summer usually being hot, humid and sultry down south, calls for some special attention to the kind of garb we wear. Selecting the right dress for the season is often the difference between being comfortable, fresh & trendy and being a sweat drenched, itchy bundle of cloth desperately trying to look chic!

Fortunately, there are arrays of garments to choose from for this season. When it comes to clothes, a general rule of Lesser the Better should be kept in mind!

If you’re looking for a fabric that will be comfortable and yet stylish, then hunt for lots of cottons, hand-woven, tussars, georgettes, cotton with silks and light weight silks. Trendy and elegant, these fabrics breathe well and are light weight; so you would feel a lot more comfortable.

Keeping with the current trends, I would advise you to opt for bright colours this summer. Pick up bright colors that compliment your complexion. Blues, greens, pinks and mild yellow look good on most people. I would encourage you to experiment with grass green, yellow, orange and bright deep pink sarees and gowns. Though not everyone can carry these well, but if you do pull it off, the colors would make you look elegant and sophisticated.

Bold floral prints are in this season and it’s all about scale. If you have a lean physique, go in for smaller prints or clothes with a few large prints. Watch out for light, tender dusty prints or heavy flora designs – you don’t want to be caught in one of them this summer!

Though geometrical designs are slowly fading, you could try polka dots. The loud graphic print would look good both on sarees and frocks in simple color combination like black polka dots on white, whine red on cream and simple earthy colors like green on white, yellow on white and dark chocolate brown on white. When combined with simple styling, they give you a fresh, young lively look; just perfect for those evening parties and that pool side bash you’re looking forward to!

Summer’s also an excuse to allure and entice, so if you’ve got that svelte figure, then flaunt it! The season’s trends are also a tad revealing this year. Be it gowns or blouses; go in for the sleeveless, halter-neck, spaghetti top, low back kind. Besides being glamorous and stylish, they will help avoid too much sweating.

So go ahead, add those soft, body hugging, feminine fabrics like georgette, chiffon, net & satin brasso to your wardrobe this season and gear up to face the heat in style!

- Contributed by Ms. Vijayalakshmi Krishna, Managing Partner- Aavaranaa

V-necks, boat necks or short sleeves – Choose the right match!!

If you think that selecting a glamorous, elegant saree will make you look like an absolute Fashion Goddess then think again! Selecting a good saree is only half the job. We often tent to neglect the equally important saree blouse.

Halter top, Sleeveless, Corsets, backless, off shoulder, spaghetti strap blouse and the list goes on and on and on. But choice of a blouse will mostly depend on the kind of saree and the physical appearance of the person. There are a few things you must keep in mind while selecting a blouse.

Be it halter top blouses, corsets or spaghetti straps the neckline of the blouse must always be taken into consideration. They can dramatically change the way you look, from being elegant and graceful to a total fashion disaster!

Some basic pointers to keep in mind while selecting a blouse:

• A short neck and face will appear lengthened by necklines with strong vertical or nearly vertical lines, such as a plunging V-neckline.
  
• If you have a big bust-line then avoid V necks and scoop necks as they emphasis the chest size. Instead opt for high necks combined with full sleeves.
  
• People with small bust-line should opt for V-necks and bulkier fabrics as they create an illusion of a fuller bust-line.
  
• Pear-shaped figures can be balanced by diverging or horizontal lines, e.g., an off-the-shoulder or boat neckline.
  
• If you have broad shoulders go in for a wide neckline, short sleeves and light fabrics, they will help to visually reduce broad shoulders.
  
• Heavy armed? Try to wear sleeves that are not fitted yet follow the body line. Avoid heavy and thick fabrics.
  

Armed with these few basic tools, you can now choose a blouse design that will suit you and give you that trendy style. As I mentioned before there are an array of designs to choose from. The choice here is the kind of back that you would like to sport. This will also largely depend on the type of neckline you choose. Another choice to make is the kind of sleeve you should consider. Here you could go in for a retro nineties look with a ruffled beads sleeves blouse or a fanned sleeves blouse. You could also consider one shoulder blouses, full sleeves blouse or the sexy rhinestone strap blouse and the crossed triple spaghetti strap blouse among others.

Also consider the amount of décolletage that you would like and whether the visibility of undergarments such as bra straps is relevant. These factors may influence the depth and width of the neckline, respectively.

At the end of the day, choosing an ideal blouse is no child’s play. But this daunting task can be made easier when you keep in mind the kind of neckline that would suit you and the design that would look good for your physique.

Contributed by Ms. Vijayalakshmi Krishna, Managing Partner, Aavaranaa.

About Aavaranaa:

Aavaranaa is an exclusive saree boutique located at 15, Ashoka Street, Alwarpet,Chennai. The boutique houses a range of unique designer sarees. All their designs are in house and exclusive; Yes! I really mean exclusive! They don't duplicate any designs. I've posted a few of their pictures here in the HIGHLIGHTS section (Top left conner of this page), check them out! I'll keep updating these pictures with their latest collections so do come back again...

Interested in their collection??? Check them out at - www.aavaranaa.com