Arpita channels classic cool in a chikankari line

Looking dewy fresh, actress Arpita chatted with t2 about her fashion faves...

Chikankari is one of my favourite Indian crafts...

In my personal wardrobe, I have quite a few chikankari saris and salwar suits, which I have sourced from Lucknow. It makes for a very classy look, it looks so rich yet not glossy or jazzy. That’s just my personal style — simple and elegant. The good thing about chikankari is that it can be done on a variety of material — cotton, georgette or silk — and I have all kinds in my collection. What I liked about Jyotee Khaitan’s collection is the way she has used chikankari, it’s not like what we usually see. The cuts and colours are so classy. These are special occasion clothes and I would love to dress up in this way.

I love handwork...

I love all kinds of sutor kaaj and my favourite is Kashmiri work. Apart from the shawls which everyone has, I have two Kashmiri stitch saris that are very close to my heart.

My festive fashion...

For the festive season, especially for the Bengali festivities like Durga Puja and Lakshmi Puja, I am planning to wear saris. I love wearing traditional saris from different parts of India. I love handloom, especially khadi. I also like south cotton, Gadwal, Kerala cotton. Just a few days back, my sister-in-law gifted me a beautiful Kanjeevaram in red and gold. She also got one for herself and we are planning to wear that for Lakshmi Puja. I usually don’t shop for Puja but I get a lot of saris as gifts. 

Text: Smita Roy Chowdhury

Pictures: Pabitra Das

Make-up: Aniruddha Chakladar; hair: Sekhar Adhikary; location: ITC Sonar