“I think, if you tell me that you do not know how to wear a saree, I would say shame on you. It’s a part of your culture, (you) need to stand up for it,” Sabyasachi told the students amidst applause.
“Women and men are trying very hard to be something that they are not. Your clothing should be a part of who you are and connect you to your roots,” he added.
When someone brought up the difficulties in wearing a saree he responded with “It’s a relationship of misunderstanding. It’s easy to wear a saree. Wars have been fought in saree. Grandmothers have slept in saree and have woken up without any folds to it,” Sabyasachi replied.
Talking about the male counterpart the designer responded with “Indian women have kept alive the saree, but the dhoti is dead,” the designer said much to the laughter and applause from the audience.
At a time when women are claiming that clothes do not define one’s personality, the designer’s lukewarm comments seem disparate.
