Pride month is just about to end, but it doesn’t call curtains on the celebration of the feeling that this word evokes. While the people of LGBTQIA+ spectrum long for a day in the near future where they will not be ostracised as the “other” in our society, they are building their own identity, fighting for their own rights and breaking stereotypes all on their own in numerous ways. They are challenging pre- conceived notions associated with binary genders in more ways than one, with the latest being models Pritam Ghoshal and Amit Jain posing in sarees from the house of Ummaira.
.jpg?w=640&auto=format%2Ccompress)
The Kolkata based boutique is usually associated with ethnic and indo-fusion wear for women. However, taking a cue from the widespread celebrations of Pride across the month of June, the house has come up with ways to be more inclusive towards all genders beyond the binaries.
For a fact, Sarees have not always been limited to just women in the pages of India’s cultural history. The word Saree was spun out of the Sanskrit word Chira which literally translates into a piece of cloth, and it has always been associated with flexibility and fluidity. Even though weavers spun cotton smeared with indigo, lac, turmeric and red madder dyes to help women hide their modesty, there are depictions of Ardhvanariswar in Hindu mythology that portray non-duality of genders as well as the apparel itself.
Ummaira wishes to give a new meaning to the fluidity associated with Sarees and elevate the traditional six- yards of elegance to a gender- neutral apparel to the Gen- Z.