Designer duo Abraham & Thakore did a full show themed around it and even Aseem Kapoor paired it with a bandhgala for one of his looks. Is it just another ‘trend’ that’ll come and go faster than you think or is the humble dhoti truly having its moment in Indian fashion? I’d say the latter simply because it makes for such a fine ensemble for the modern Indian man who isn’t shy of holding on to his roots.
The masters of simple yet sharp clothing, Abraham & Thakore reimagined dhoti and lungi as part of their latest showcase, Warp & Weft, at the newest edition of Lakme Fashion Week. What followed was a show so exquisite, you had to be there to believe it.
It was dhoti like you’ve never seen it before. Transformed into a handkerchief skirt or a baby doll top. The lungi paired with a more formal top. Ikat was also part of the clothing. As were tencel drapes. Everything making for a collection that was as contemporary as one needs to be while also striking traditional notes.
The clothes were sharply tailored, yes, but not rigid. Isn’t that always a better option? Bundgalas, bandies and kurtas, with a gentle glitter achieved with surface ornamentation. A two-buttoned checked jacket with notched lapels, teamed with a basic shirt. Kurtas given an unconventional styling. What’s not to love?
Actor Veer Pahariya was the showstopper and the designers gave him comfortable, loose trousers and a detailed embellished bandhgala jacket with three patch pockets, all in neutral white.
It’s not a ‘new’ thing though, to be fair. For a while now, show after show, designers have presented the dhoti as a feasable option for menswear. Rishta by Arjun Saluja, Shantnu-Nikhil, Arjun Bhandari and Tarun Tahiliani, among many others, have all been proponents for the dhoti as part of their collections. Be it as is or as a draped trouser which is nothing but a ‘modern’ take on the dhoti.
You’d certainly remember Ranbir Kapoor closing the show for Kunal Rawal in a dhoti-trouser hybrid!
And not just in India, designers internationally have done it too. Jean Paul Gaultier in Spring-Summer 1985. Yohji Yamamoto Spring-Summer 2012. You get the point, I’m sure.
Safe to say, the dhoti doesn’t need a designer to present it as an apt choice of clothing. But maybe their take on it might inspire more men to wear it more often? That’s certainly a cause worth getting behind.