This long piece of fabric, which traditionally winds the body, has undergone an evolution over the past 10 years like never before in the five millennia of its history, observes Priya Khanchandani, curator of the exhibition that opens Friday at the Design Museum in London.

It was in 2015 that she became aware of this movement, meeting some of the creators who were transforming the sari in Delhi.

"I saw the sari reborn as an everyday garment but in a very trendy way. Younger women were starting to wear it," she told AFP. "It's often intellectuals, writers and artists, who wore it in a way I didn't expect."

Once worn for special events or weddings, the sari has reinvented itself as everyday clothing, going so far as to pair with t-shirts and sneakers.

The advent of mass consumption and social media in India, coupled with the growth of the urban middle class, has accelerated the movement, says the conservative.

Under the imagination of designers, the sari was even declined in worn © jeans Adrian DENNIS / AFP

"The influence of social media has a very big impact in India, especially among young people, allowing trends to spread and, I believe, the wearing of sari is becoming a popular movement," she said.

New experiences

Hastags are flourishing online, #sarilove, #sarifashion, #designsarees and #sareeindia.

The sari has also been used as a vehicle for ideas © Adrian DENNIS / AFP

Despite the long history of the sari, it was only last year that it had the honors of the Met Gala, celebrity event of the year in New York on the red carpet scrutinized by showbiz and the world of fashion.

Worn by Indian businesswoman Natasha Poonawalla, the set featured a golden sari from Sabyasachi with a Schiaparelli bustier.

In India, creators have also pushed the limits by trying new experiences.

Little Shilpa's Raj Kilt presents itself as "half skirt, half sari" and reflects the multicultural journey of designer Shilpa Chavan, who studied in the UK.

Among the most remarkable pieces, a sari decorated with glitter from old recovered radios from hospital waste and others, made of worn denim.

But while the sari's potential for extravagance and creativity is fully exposed in the exhibition, it also includes examples of how it is used to express ideas of identity and resistance.

Hundreds of thousands of members of the Gulabi Gang, a group fighting violence against women, including sexual violence and against child marriage in rural India, have adopted bright pink saris with bamboo as a symbol of their movement.

Also presented, a purple silk sari with embroidered sequins and crystals created by the Papa Don't Preach brand.

Mass consumption and social networks have accelerated the transformation of clothing © Adrian DENNIS / AFP

After the brand posted a photo of a sari worn by non-binary artist ALOK, who founded the #DeGenderFashion (degender fashion) movement, it decided to remove the mention "women's clothing" from all its communication.

© 2023 AFP