A fair-skinned Kerala bride in an ivory and gold kasavu silk saree in a heritage parlour

House of Vanya™ — by Alice

Sarees hand-loomed in Varanasi, Kanchipuram and Kutch — a quiet conversation between ancient craft and the contemporary woman.

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Occasion

Today's drape

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Bridal/Wedding Guest/Festive/Cocktail/Daily/Christian Organza

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Organza Chanderi Kanjivaram Banarasi

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New arrivals

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The Noor Banarasi

Banarasi Silk

Crimson & Gold

₹1,45,000Bespoke

The Zephyr Drape

Organza

Mint & Blush

₹32,500Signature

The Chandni Chanderi

Chanderi

Navy & Silver

₹28,000Signature

Indigo Nightfall

Cotton

Indigo & Ivory

₹14,500Atelier

For the bride

The Bridal Edit

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The Noor Banarasi

Banarasi Silk

Crimson & Gold

₹1,45,000Bespoke

The Saanjh Ivory

Tissue Silk

Ivory & Gold

₹42,000Signature

Only 1 left

The Emerald Mandapam

Kanjivaram Silk

Emerald & Gold

₹1,68,000Bespoke

The Gulrana Rose

Georgette

Dusty Rose

₹22,000Signature

From the atelier

Reels from the loom

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Kerala · Heritage

Kasavu, gold on cream

Handwoven cotton, real kasavu zari — drape of the Malayali bride.

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The veranda

Blush Chanderi

Sheer silk-cotton from Madhya Pradesh, light as breath.

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Banarasi · Bridal

Maroon Banarasi, gold jaal

Deep wine silk with antique-gold floral jaal and a heavy zari border.

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Banarasi

Navy Banarasi, silver zari

Inky navy silk with cool silver zari — heritage halls and quiet evenings.

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Kanchipuram

Emerald Kanchi

Mulberry silk in deep emerald with a temple-border in gold zari.

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Organza · Oonjal

Mint organza, on the swing

Whisper-light silk-organza, the breeze of a Kerala veranda.

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Handwoven linen

Blush linen, silver tissue

Slubby pure linen with a fine silver tissue border — quiet, lit, weightless.

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Organza

Blush organza, hand-embroidered

Sheer pink silk-organza with fine floral thread work — slow summer afternoons.

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Kasavu · Heritage

Kasavu, stained-glass light

Cream cotton and gold kasavu, lit by the colours of an old chapel.

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Kanchipuram · Bridal

Maroon Kanchipuram

Temple silk in deep maroon — woven for the longest evenings.

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Kerala · Heritage

Kasavu, gold on cream

Handwoven cotton, real kasavu zari — drape of the Malayali bride.

Shop the edit

The veranda

Blush Chanderi

Sheer silk-cotton from Madhya Pradesh, light as breath.

Shop the edit

Banarasi · Bridal

Maroon Banarasi, gold jaal

Deep wine silk with antique-gold floral jaal and a heavy zari border.

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Banarasi

Navy Banarasi, silver zari

Inky navy silk with cool silver zari — heritage halls and quiet evenings.

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Kanchipuram

Emerald Kanchi

Mulberry silk in deep emerald with a temple-border in gold zari.

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Organza · Oonjal

Mint organza, on the swing

Whisper-light silk-organza, the breeze of a Kerala veranda.

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Handwoven linen

Blush linen, silver tissue

Slubby pure linen with a fine silver tissue border — quiet, lit, weightless.

Shop the edit

Organza

Blush organza, hand-embroidered

Sheer pink silk-organza with fine floral thread work — slow summer afternoons.

Shop the edit

Kasavu · Heritage

Kasavu, stained-glass light

Cream cotton and gold kasavu, lit by the colours of an old chapel.

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Kanchipuram · Bridal

Maroon Kanchipuram

Temple silk in deep maroon — woven for the longest evenings.

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South Indian lookbook

How to wear it — eight signature drapes, every occasion.

A quiet field guide across the south and beyond — mantrakodi for the Kerala church, set-mundu for Onam, the Tamil Madisar nine-yard, the Kodava Coorgi pinned to the right shoulder, Karnataka's back-pleated Pinkosu, Bengali atpoure for Pujo, and the sleek Mumtaz mermaid for evening.

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Kerala Christian

The Mantrakodi drape

1.Tuck the plain end at the right hip, take one full turn around the waist.
2.Form 5–7 box pleats at the front, narrow and crisp; tuck centred at the navel.
3.Bring the pallu over the left shoulder, pinned flat with a brooch.
4.Draw the loose end of the same saree over the head as the bridal veil, falling to the elbow.

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A Kerala Hindu woman in a kasavu set-mundu with temple gold and brass lamp

Onam · Vishu

The Set-Mundu

1.Wrap the mundu (lower piece) around the waist, pleating in front; secure at the right.
2.Drape the neriyathu (upper piece) over the left shoulder, kasavu border facing out.
3.Let the pallu fall to mid-back; pair with a brass-toned blouse.
4.Finish with a single strand of kasu mala and fresh mulla flowers in the hair.

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A South Indian bride in a crimson Kanjivaram silk saree with temple gold

Temple bridal

The South Indian bridal Nivi (Kanjivaram)

1.Anchor the plain end at the right hip — Kanjivaram silk needs a firm tuck.
2.Make 7–9 deep pleats; press flat with the palm before tucking.
3.Bring the pallu over the left shoulder, then fan a second layer for the temple border.
4.Secure with a gold saree pin behind the shoulder so the zari sits flat.

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A Tamil Brahmin woman in a mustard-and-maroon nine-yard madisar saree in a heritage agraharam

Tamil Iyer · Iyengar

The Madisar nine-yard

1.Drape one end around the waist twice; tie a firm knot at the right hip (Iyer style — Iyengars knot at the left).
2.Pass the remaining length between the legs and tuck behind at the centre-back to form the dhoti.
3.Pleat the front piece into 7–9 narrow pleats; tuck centred at the navel.
4.Bring the pallu around the back, over the left shoulder; pin to the blouse.

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A bride in a champagne tissue saree with a narrow butterfly pallu, shown in golden hour light

Reception · Sangeet

The Butterfly pallu

1.Drape the saree normally up to the front pleats.
2.Gather the pallu into very narrow vertical pleats — barely two inches wide.
3.Take the pallu up over the left shoulder and pin tight to the blouse.
4.Adjust so the pallu sits flat between the bust and the shoulder, framing the blouse.

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A Tamil woman in a mustard cotton saree draped in the back-pleated pinkosu style on a sunlit balcony

Tamil everyday

The Pinkosu reverse pleat

1.Start at the right hip; take a full turn around the waist.
2.Form 7–10 pleats at the back with the open edge facing downward; tuck them centred behind the waist.
3.Bring the second half across the front and over the left shoulder.
4.Let the pallu fall long, or tuck the tip into the waist for free hands.

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A Bengali woman in a red-bordered white silk saree draped in the Atpoure style with keys at the waist

Durga Puja

The Bengali Atpoure

1.Skip the petticoat pleats — wrap the saree from right to left without front pleats.
2.Bring the pallu around the back and forward over the left shoulder.
3.Pass the pallu loosely under the right arm and drape it again over the left.
4.Anchor a bunch of chaabir guchcho (keys) at the pallu's free end.

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An Indian woman in a black sequined georgette saree draped in the modern Mumtaz mermaid style

Cocktail · Reception

The Mumtaz mermaid

1.Choose a soft, slinky fabric — georgette, satin or pre-stitched sequin.
2.Skip front pleats; wrap the saree snugly around the hips in three to four diagonal turns.
3.Each turn should overlap the last by an inch so the silhouette stays fitted.
4.Bring the final layer up as a sleek pallu over the left shoulder, no pleats.

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From the looms