Mandira Bedi comes to the Bay to launch her line!

By Shruti Tewari

Oh no, there was no way that I was going to miss a Mandira Bedi fashion show in my area!

I live in the heart of Silicon Valley where tech talk is cheap and creative discussions minimal. So when one learns about an industrious Desi woman adding yet another facet to her already multi-dimensional personality, one has to stand with her in support.

Janta Connection along with Jabong World organized the fashion show at The Glass House in San Jose, CA on Nov 22^nd. Local models paraded down with enthusiasm in an eclectic array of colorful saris ranging from party wear to special occasion pieces.

And what a fantastic collection it was! The saris felt light and contemporary, with a nod to vibrant colors and traditional borders. The zari work was deftly used to gently enhance a woman’s curves, without weighing down or overwhelming her. My favorite was a turquoise sari with a gold border, but the rich cobalt blue and the vermillion red silks looked stunning under the lights. Mandira herself appeared in a lovely two-tone blue and gray sari with a trifecta of muted gold, shimmer and black stripes as the border, which she paired with a black noodle strap blouse.

I loved her breezy look and it made me wonder what the staples for a sari wardrobe like hers would be! After all, we’ve all spent our fair share of time and money shopping for the perfect LBD, trench coat or A-line skirt. What if we gave some thought to building a sari wardrobe as well? Especially, if the options available to us make a convincing contemporary and stylish statement! Find out what Mandira had to say about the sari staples in my interview with her.

When asked about accessorizing a sari, she pointed out that none of her models wore any accessories. In her opinion, this is the best way to let the individual’s personality and the sari’s aesthetic be the highlight without having to compete with ornate baubles.

For someone who started out as a timid and shy Preeti in the Bollywood blockbuster Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge, Mandira sure has come a long way. She is one of the top TV hosts in India and was most recently seen in the Indian adaptation of the riveting TV series 24. And now, we get to see her work as a designer as well. A stylish embodiment of the modern Indian woman, she keeps reinventing herself and continues to find newer avenues for self-expression. What a treat it was to see her collection, what an inspiration it was to share her positive energy!