Twine Tales, a sustainable fashion boutique in Gariahat specialising in a variety of saris, put together a Durga Puja lookbook with actor Devlina Kumar as muse, exclusively for t2. Speaking on the cultural relevance of the sari, the undisputed choice of every Bengali woman for her Puja wardrobe, Sanhita De, proprietor of the boutique store, said: “For Pujo shoot, we have consciously chosen Bengal handloom saris as Durga Puja is synonymous with saris for women. To make things interesting, we have decided to keep the jewellery chic and contemporary and give a twist to the hairstyle. We have aimed to cut the clutter of monotony while staying true to our roots. With this shoot, we are presenting women in an amalgamation of traditional and modern looks. Having said that, if we would look at the entire look as a whole, it comes across as very minimal and sober and nothing over-the-top.”
The store strives to be environment friendly. Sahnita said: “We do our bit in our own small way to leave fewer carbon footprints as we indulge in using more natural fabrics. And this way we are also fulfilling our sole objective of keeping the handloom tradition alive. Here we have everything in natural and pure fabric. That is why our saris are lightweight and handloom, which takes the comfort level several notches higher.”
(l-r)On Navami night celebrate the beauty of black in this glamorous pure silk muslin sari with the guinea motifs on the pallu. Glamourise the look with a pink silk blouse with small gold motifs scattered all over. Accessorise the look with silver and gold-toned jewellery. Conquer hearts with dark wine lips, glittery, smokey eyes and flirty loose curls.Look drop-dead gorgeous on Ashtami evening in this dark blue traditional jamdani sari paired with a pure silk beige blouse. Up your style game with side-part hair, nude eyes and lips, and costume jewellery.
Speaking to t2 on what Durga Puja essentially means for her and how styling plays a major role in setting the mood, Devlina said: “Durga Puja is the most heart-warming, emotional time of the year for me and I look forward to it like any other Bengali does. Counting days, getting your dresses made and planning your days... that’s what Pujo is all about. And, of course, lots of food and adda... I spend my Pujo at Tridhara... that’s my para pujo. I have grown up being part of their Pujo, and nothing has changed at all. All my friends come over and we have our adda session. Gourab (Chatterjee; husband) has got a hang of my kind of Pujo after meeting me. And Pujo is incomplete without saris and traditional attire. In the morning it has to be sari every day, keeping the Bangali saaj intact. If I am not wearing sari, I usually go for sharara or anarkali. Lehnga has my heart, but given the sporadic rains we have during this time, it tends to get weird sometimes to step out in a lehnga. Sometimes I would tell my designer to make for me something ethnic which is experimental at the same time. This time around, I am going to stick to my original plans, which is spending time with friends and family in Tridhara and nothing else. This year Pujo is arriving so late. Can’t wait already!”
(l-r)Indulge in sindoor khela on Dashami in this silk linen sari flaunting little square motifs in zari, teamed with a red silk blouse with golden zari border on the sleeves. The make-up has to be on point with such a beautiful sari. Try out this Sabyasachiinspired middlepart sleek hair tied into a bun, adorned with a jasmine garland. Accentuate your look with a vermillion bindi, nude smokey eyes, and dark wine lips. An angoraaj neckpiece and a pair of kaanpashas will take things up a notch.Go a little lighter on Saptami with this tussore kantha soft-finish sari with zari border. Pair it with a soft pink brocade Benarasi blouse. Opt for nude eyes and light pink lips. Oxidised jewellery and braided hair will best complement this look.