Denim and the drape

Denim is usually cut to hold a shape. Two pieces in this collection ask it to hang instead: the Chhatri denim saree and the Baoli pant saree.

The Chhatri denim saree

The Chhatri is a pre draped saree in soft eight ounce denim. The pleats are set at the front, the drape is carried over the shoulder, and a belt with a round buckle holds it at the waist, so it goes on in a minute and stays put.

The weight is the point. A lighter denim falls like cotton but keeps the colour and the grain of denim, so the folds read as indigo rather than as a print. A gold border runs along the hem and the edge of the drape, and draws one clean line from the floor to the shoulder.

The Baoli pant saree

The Baoli turns the idea round. Here the drape is a burgundy block printed cloth, crossed at the neck into a halter and tied at the waist, and the denim is underneath: wide light trousers that show through the open side as she walks.

Why it matters

A draped piece needs a cloth that falls and a cloth that holds. Put one over the other and each does its job: the drape moves, and the denim keeps the line.