Priyanka's simple Jamdani-Chanderi saree wins over saree lovers

Priyanka Chopra Jonas performed Lakshmi puja this year with an intimate ritual at her California home with husband Nick by her side. As with all her celebratory moments, these pictures won the approval of netizens worldwide. What was particularly noteworthy was her sartorial choice. Priyanka, who often endorses some of the biggest Indian designers for her special occasions —whether she chooses to wear a sari or a lehenga — decided to go for something totally different this time. The global crossover star wore a relatively simple but vibrant yellow saree that had none of the bling or drama we are used to seeing on her. The diaphanous sari is a Chanderi weave with intricate geometric jamdani motifs, marking a fusion of handloom styles from Madhya Pradesh and Bengal. Her stylist Ami Patel, while speaking to Calcutta Times, said: “While Nick wore a kurta by an eminent designer, Priyanka chose to wear this sari, which is a gift by her mother, Madhu Chopra. The sari is bought directly from an NGO that works with weavers.”
This is not the first time that Pee Cee has decided to champion Indian handlooms. On the day she received her Padma Shree award in 2016, she wore a muslin jamdani sari with ethnic jewellery, winning over fans and fashion connoisseurs.
Curator of handwoven products, Meghali Barua Lahiry, said, “It’s great to see such international celebrities endorse handloom sarees. The whole idea of Go Local finds true meaning in such endorsements and takes handloom weaves to a global and educated audience. This is indeed great news for weavers who should get more work coming in with such promotions." Describing the saree Meghali said, "It's a beautiful jamdani work saree on a chanderi fabric. The colour is autumnal yellow and looks great on Indian skin.”

Earlier this year, Bangladeshi Actress, Azmeri Haque Badhon, draped a jamdani during her visit at the 74th Cannes Film Festival in July with her film with Rehana Maryam Noor. “Dhakai Jamdani is an obvious choice for most of us. Perhaps, my sari got a little more attention, but usually, you will see Dhakai jamdani in most of the official meets in Bangladesh. I get a lot of compliments for my sari. This time, while working with Tabu, I gifted her a white Dhakai jamdani with red borders and she was elated. ‘My mother is going to snatch it away,’ she joked. In my observation, the local weave has its own appeal,” Badhon told us.