Manju mesmerizes in a simple cotton kurti at the Filmfare red carpet

Manju Warrier, the lady superstar of Mollywood, shined in a simple yet elegant cotton kurti at the red carpet of the Filmfare Awards, where the stars of the South Indian movie industries experimented with fashion. Not many would have the confidence or courage to appear in a simple outfit at such a glitzy and glamorous event. However, Manju carried off the minimal look with elan. When the whole world is talking about sustainable fashion, the talented actress adopted it in her own choice of clothes. She oozed elegance and panache as she showed off her cotton kurti on the red carpet.

Though cotton attires are touted as being extremely comfortable and skin friendly, it has always been burdened under the tag of ‘daily wear’. Cotton clothes never had any place in parties or other events outside the routine activities. Interestingly, this trend is undergoing a change, though not on a rapid pace.

The fashionistas too are thrilled to try out chic styles and fashionable designs in cotton. When many female stars appeared at many public events, wearing cotton anarkalis or a beautiful dress, it became a style statement.

“It must be for the first time that a celebrity walked on the red carpet wearing cotton casuals. I felt incredible happiness when I saw Manju Warrier in that attire for the Filmfare event. It indeed was a super style statement,” says costume designer Stephy Xaviour.

Festive cotton

When enhanced with embellishments, the simple cotton kurti gets transformed into an elegant festive wear. Indigenous designs, prints and fabrics are unique and beautiful. The anarkali suit, which were the royal attire of the Mughal women have charmed fashionistas for centuries. The festive wears in cotton mostly come as stunning anarkali suits.

“Those who prefer cotton as party wear mostly choose anarkali. These suits are inspired from the Mughal designs and aesthetics. The heavy flared anarkali is amazingly beautiful. The flared anarkali is usually stitched using 8 – 9 meters fabric. The fitting would be perfect when the top section is designed in small panels. Heavy embellishments would complete its party wear looks,” explains designer Revathy Unnikrishnan of Jugalbandi.

The classy Ajrakh

Ajrakh, the unique form of block prints is the trend among the cotton wears. This ethnic hand block fabric printing is traditionally done at the Kachch region in Gujarat. These beautiful prints would be loved by anyone who prefers a classy ethnic look. The motifs play pivotal role in giving the fabric a regal elegance.

Minimalism

Designer Revathy Unnikrishnan says that minimalism is the key while styling a party wear cotton ensemble. “In the festive wears, the embellishments would be mostly done in the neck of the outfit. Heavy jewelry like necklaces or other accessories would not go well with the attires that have jewel neck pattern. Just a heavy earring is enough to complete the look,” she adds.

In this picture, actress Isha Talwar dons a cotton anarkali suit inspired by the Mughal tradition. The regal purple color and the ajrakh prints enhance the elegance of the outfit. The jewel neck pattern and the full sleeves make this flared anarkali very attractive. The hand work motifs are inspired from the Mughal architecture. The small panels make the fitting perfect. Besides, the self colored border with unique prints too grabs attention.

Designer: Revathy Unnikrishnan, Jugalbandi, Kochi