Kalpana Shah is a trusted name in Bollywood when it comes to dressing divas in sari. The stylist, who unfortunately missed a chance to dress Michelle Obama, talks to Divya Kaushik about how she learnt 300 different ways of draping a sari
So what if she missed a chance to dress Michelle Obama while the first lady of the United States was here in January, she recently trained someone close to her, who may help Michelle drape a sari in future. Kalpana Shah, popularly known as Kalpana Ben, was informed prior to the US President’s India tour in January that Michelle wanted to wear a sari while in India and she would be required to drape it.
“But due to last minute changes in their plans, she dropped the idea,” says Kalpana, Mumbai-based stylist who specialises in draping different styles of sari. Kalpana holds workshops and classes for students across the globe and recently Amy Hariani, director and legal policy counsel, US-India Business Council, completed a short course in sari draping. “The classes happen round the year and we offer two courses. While one is for professionals and is an extensive course including different styles of draping a sari, the other one is a short course and is a basic training to help one understand the basics of drape. Since Amy is in love with saris, she did the basic training with us,” says Kalpana.
From Deepika Padukone to Katrina Kaif, the divas in Bollywood trust her for that flattering sari look. “I have mostly dressed Deepika and Sonam Kapoor in different styles of sari. While Deepika prefers a body hugging drape that suits her figure, Sonam is more experimental. She looks forward to trying different ways of draping a sari. I last dressed her for a film screening party,” shares Kalpana, originally from Surat, who started working in Mumbai as a beautician. When she started getting appreciation on her sari draping skills from her clients and realised that most women avoid wearing a sari because they do not know the proper way of draping it, she started thinking of ways to create awareness among women. “Whatever I learnt was through my observations and practise. Being in Mumbai helped me learn about different styles of draping a sari within different cultures,” she adds. Kalpana is fluent in draping any length of sari. As per her even a mere three-yard material can be used as a dupatta. Kalpana knows around 300 ways of draping a sari.
To share her knowledge and make women more confident to wear a sari, she authored a book titled The Whole Nine Yards, which is an all-inclusive guide to the art of draping a sari. She says, “I noticed that women have a misconception that a sari limits their mobility. The solution to this is effective draping. The book focusses on eight basic styles, each of which has endless and innovative variations. It probes every little detail, from measurements to where and how to pin your pallu or pleats. The book contains instructions for almost all sorts of styles of sari draping. From the basic style for beginners to complex and traditional styles for those who would like to experiment further. My intention was to make every women proud of wearing a sari, which is now popular worldwide.”
After the book, Kalpana has launched a mobile app, learn Sari, to help women on the go. “The app is specially designed for women who have to wear sari for meetings or while they are travelling with no one to help them drape a sari. The app comes with easy instructions and visuals to guide one to drape a sari without wasting much time. The app is also helpful for many Westerners who are in love with the drape but often could not find people to help them,” says Kalpana.