Transform old sarees into new ones

Old sarees of our mothers and grandmothers, especially the wedding ones, are likely to be found neatly wrapped and tucked into a closet. Such yards of richness get their chance of stepping out only when the closet is being cleaned; simply because the saree would have become old or damaged and the fabric would have lost its luster. The original zardosi (gold thread work) or embroidery work done, however, would still be breathtakingly beautiful. Here’s what MetroMela thinks you should do with such sarees.

There are several boutiques in the city which help you transfer the original work from one fabric to another. So this way you can get an entirely new saree, salwar suit or even a wall piece made, with the help of your old one. The work of the boutiques that MetroMela will be listing below is so neat that it will be difficult for a person to find out that the work is actually old and has just been transferred. Better still, the old saree will find a good use.

Sarang (Rekha Lahoti)

This boutique can get all kinds of work transferred to a new fabric – ranging from Kalamkari (hand-painted or block-printed) work and zardosi to embroidery and artificial leather. You can even get printing, dyeing, sequins or lace work done over here. Sarang specializes in placement transfer which means that instead of transferring the entire work in the same pattern from an old saree to a new one, they design a new placement for all the beads, sequins, zardosi or gota work (appliqué). Based on the amount of work, such a creation would take at least 20 days. Charges start from about Rs. 850. You can get the blouse or salwar suit stitched here as well.

Asha’s Collection (Asha Mehta)

Asha Mehta runs this boutique from home. She can transform a new plain saree into an exquisite one with the help of your old saree. You can get a lot of new embroidered (especially the Parsi embroidered ones) sarees here as well. She also deals in bed sheets, dress material and jewelry. Asha takes 20-30 days to get the work done. You could get a saree done (with her new saree and your old saree) for Rs. 4,000-5,000 based on the kind of work it involves.

Ira Boutique (Shilpa / Richa)

This sister duo runs the boutique from home. Butas (floral motifs), zardosi, embroidery, borders, dyeing, printing etc can all be freshly done or transferred here. They can even buy the fabric that you want to get it transferred to. A simple transfer, say on the border, would take about two weeks and would cost about Rs. 650. You can get blouses, salwar suits, kurtis, tunics, skirts and gowns designed and tailored here as well. This boutique is about four years old. Also, Shilpa is an alumnus of the National Institute of Fashion Technology.

Charms Boutique (Rajul Shah)

Rajul Shah has been doing tailoring and designing since about 15 years. She can get any kind of work transferred to a new pure georgette, artificial chiffon or pure crepe saree. At least 15 days of time is a given and charges would range from Rs 1,000 to Rs. 2,000 based on the amount of work involved. You can also get blouses and salwar suits tailored here.

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