10 ways to be a Fusion-ista!

I wrote this for a client but missed the deadline due to some technical error with the pictures ...so putting it up here! 

If you are an Indian woman with modern sensibilities, it is obvious that your wardrobe reflects your attitude. You’d rather be a fashionable ‘fusion-diva’ than a behenji, right?  You can add one ethnic element to your ensemble and look hip…one thing at a time!

®    Pair a long kurta with a waistcoat or a koti instead of a dupatta; you can look hip instantly!

®    Printed Palazzo pants paired with solid coloured tops or kurtis are a great way to blend modern elements with an ethnic look. Pakistani suits, with flowing silhouettes are in vogue and the palazzos are a good twist…

®    Sarees are a classic, and there are a million ways to wear them. Recently, there is a trend of contemporary prints – from animals, fan prints, cameras to language scripts on sarees. A modern twist indeed. Do not over-accessorize and let the saree do all the talking!

®    Women who are up for being bold yet glamorous, can wear a bikini top for a blouse – which looks good on screen. The best way to go is to wear a halter neck blouse with a chikankari  or tussar silk saree

®    If you are one to experiment with different styles of blouses with your sarees, you can go a step further and give the sexy drape a modern twist by wearing a jacket, shirt or a feminine top instead of the traditional blouse, very much in vogue now!

®    Your jodhpuri salwars or Patiala can be teamed with short tops or tunics. Print on print can be overwhelming, stick to one print – either the pants rather salwar or the top.

®    Your grandmother’s traditional necklace handed down to you from your family? Wait no longer, that necklace with a formal white shirt / trousers for an evening out or even a party, is a match made in fashion heaven! Looks uber cool and what an ROI for the necklace!

®    Statement necklaces are in and how! You can make a statement and pair them with your regular ghaghra skirt, a sleeveless top ( preferably in a solid colour) and a bib  or statement necklace! Nothing more, nothing less.

®    Team your bandhini/ lehariya/ phulkari duppatta as a scarf with a white/black/any contrast coloured shirt or georgette top with jeans or even trousers - you are now a fusion-ista! A plain top with no prints will help highlight the colour and embroidery in the scarf aka duppatta!

If you have an unused heavily embroidered duppatta or salwar kameez, you can cut it off and quickly sew the embroidery patch to a simple top, and voila! You have a dressy outfit with some beautiful embroidery – a match made in fusion-heaven