Every designer has this one characteristic that makes their creations uniquely their own. For Shaina Nana Chudasama, it is without doubt, the drape of her saree. What remains in the mind of the viewer after seeing her collection is not the colors or the designs, it’s the innovative way in which she drapes each and every one of her designer sarees.
A quick internet search shows that draping IS in fact, her specialty. She also happens to hold a Guinness World Record for the fastest saree draping and is said to have explored many interesting and different ways of wearing this gorgeous desi piece.
She combines her flair for design with her talent of exploring ways to drape a saree to great advantage. Every piece of hers has a particular element that can be highlighted. In some cases, it is the blouse, in some the pallu. So she drapes every saree from the point of view of showing off that particular element. Her designs lean towards the more traditional side of design while incorporating some modern elements in the design, for example – the cut of the blouse.
When it comes to her designer sarees, she creates delightful pieces with pale blues and soft pinks. She complements them with accents of gold and silver. In one of her collections she experiments with neons paired with duller, darker embellishments which only serve to heighten the grandeur of the saree. Her color combinations are novel and are perfect if you are looking for something which fits in the traditional space, but still lets you come across as modern. Her blouses are rarely more than functional pieces with the bare minimum work, Shaina NC tends to shine the spotlight on the rest of the saree, especially the pallu.
One cannot talk about Shaina NC’s pallus without talking about her innovative draping techniques. She does flaunt a lot of heavy work on the pallu of the saree, as has been the case with most of India’s traditional sarees. To show off that work, she drapes the pallu along the right hand in such a way that it steals the focus. All you can see is the gorgeous embroidery and detailed work. She also drapes her sarees in fashionable ways where the midriff is exposed. My favourite is the pallu draped over one shoulder. This extra little bit, adds the regal touch to your saree, making it fit for weddings and other occasions where you want to look just a little more grand.
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