Ditch the dupatta

Manpriya Singh 

The dupatta, as we know it, has had a tumultuous season or two on the ramps.  In the process, of course, its length, character and purpose have been reinterpreted (no, not compromised). Rather far from it. But in the process of several rounds of makeovers, what has suffered a slight setback is the sheer place of position that dupatta once enjoyed. 

No longer a must-have, it’s more of an accessory than a necessity. Especially with the new age silhouettes that designers are constantly brainstorming their heads over to please the new-age bride. 

So just in case someone wants to ditch the dupatta even while donning a lehenga and choli, it’s doable now! Even at the recently concluded India Couture Week 2018, held in Mumbai, the designers’ fascination for giving the dupatta a neat skip or a little tuck here and there continued. 

Starting with the Rohit Bal’s sparkling finale —Guldasta. The collection, though a little reminiscent of his previous collections to do with the black base and floral embroidery, put together the finest of Indian craftsmanship, embroideries and textiles, but sans the dupatta in a lot of outfits showcased.    

Opines Shreya Sahota, who runs a bridal studio in the city by the name ButterFly, “With sheer dupattas coming in, the original purpose of the garment to cover rather than flaunt, anyhow lost its relevance in among the modern Indian woman,” on how dupattas started being dispensed with when long jackets paired with lehengas first became a rage.  

Changing contours

Of course, the dupatta has thrived in the entire history of traditional Indian-wear; it can survive a trendy decade or two, only to become constitutionally altered. As for the jacket, long, short, medium; every length has been tried and tested with, especially when paired with lehengas. The first of the lot to displace the dupattas, jackets have featured in every designer’s collection now. You name it. 

Moving on, designer Amit Aggarwal’s collection, for whom Shilpa Shetty walked as the showstopper, presented dupatta a little removed from the free flowing form we’ve seen it in. “One of the ideas was to take traditional Indian and western couture shapes and infuse with structure and form,” he had shared.  But it’s not just jackets that are responsible for pushing the dupatta a little away from its prime place of a must-have. “Capes, crop tops, collared blouses, being paired with lehengas have ensured that it remains at best an accessory rather than an absolute essential part of the outfit,” says designer Sonika Dhamija, from the label Sod.  

A quintessential Indian garment, that is not to say dupatta is not here to stay, but truly it’s been tossed up in the air, keeping things quite in sync with its free-flowing nature; and metaphorically speaking much like the classic Bollywood number referring to the Lal Dupatta Malmal Ka. 

Survival in question

Of course, the dupatta has thrived in the entire history of traditional Indian-wear; it can survive a trendy decade or two, only to become constitutionally altered. As for the jacket, long, short, medium; every length has been tried and tested with, especially when paired with lehengas. The first of the lot to displace the dupattas, jackets have featured in every designer’s collection now.