Anju Modi’s 2013 Draupadi Collection reflects the designer’s close ties with Hindu culture and religion as she dedicates her fashions to Draupadi from the Mahabharata epic saga. Draupadi was described as a virtuous, holy, and headstrong woman who was married to the five Pandavas brothers in the tale.
Despite facing many abuses from men throughout her lifetime, she remained fierce against injustice and loyal to her husbands and her gods. Draupadi was one of the first women written about in Sanskrit history to openly state that a woman was not the property of her husband. She’s clearly a role model for female empowerment everywhere!
Anju Modi’s designs feature traditional modest anarkhalis and lehengas with full-sleeve blouses. She emphasizes the warmer hues of red and orange, but some of Modi’s more contemporary outfits incorporate blue and beige.
Intricate zardosi designs are embroidered across many borders and fabrics, but Modi does play with fun, new patterns as well with her use of bird cages and animal motifs.
She also uses heavy gold jewelry as another shout-out to old times. Thick necklaces and chandelier earrings brought out the boldness in the traditional designs.
The Draupadi collection is a tribute to the strong, intelligent woman that Draupadi was – so the collection tends to use more traditional pure silk and cotton fabrics instead of modern blends.
However, Modi doesn’t limit herself to what Draupadi would have worn in the past – she features some unique women’s blouses as well.
Anju Modi also has her fun with menswear, as she shares some sketches on modern suit jacket sherwanis. These are truly a brilliant concept, because they add the class and elegance of a tailored suit to the traditional and cultural flair of a flowing sherwani.
She said, “Men are experimenting with their looks and apparels. So, I have created bold and sophisticated outfits inspired from the rulers’ dresses of that time. The outfits are embellished with varied motifs like bird cages, peacocks, elephants, arrows and Arjuna’s as it signifies power and strength.”
Did we mention that the beautiful and talented Tabu was the star feature of this show? Anju Modi said that Tabu embodies the feminist virtues that she would imagine Draupadi would have in this day and age!
My favorite piece is this red and orange lehenga accented by a gold headpiece. The bright gold on deep red is a gorgeous color combination that is truly reminiscent of older, more traditional times where red was commonly worn at celebrations.
The orange dupatta and flowing choli add a fabulous fiery finish to the whole look. I love the red silk blouse, with its cape-like appearance and a unique, sweetheart neckline that is perfectly low-cut enough to add a touch of modernity to the outfit!
I wasn’t a huge fan of the overused pale color scheme in some outfits, even though pale pink and gold is a subtle and pretty combination! While the flowing skirts and thick gold borders are a great way to add glamor to the design, this lehenga would have looked amazing with a brighter colored dupatta or blouse.
Overall, Anju Modi’s Draupadi collection performed an excellent tribute to a real heroine for modern women: Draupadi. I’m sure she would have been impressed by the elegant designs and tasteful, yet extravagant jewelry.
Some of Anju Modi’s published designs reveal the fashion ingenuity in its early stages.
Golds and reds complement in each in this fiery display of Draupadi’s passionate personality.
These chic menswear looks mix the modern suave of a bowtie and suit jacket with Eastern prints and a flowing kurta.
Unique Western prints go well in this white-and-blue lehenga with statement jewelry accents. The red really ties all the colors and patterns together in this “traditional choli meets very modern blouse” ensemble.
The yellow overcoat truly complements the deep blue and fun patterns of the lehenga.
Pink and gold is a flawless, feminine color combination – made all the more elegant with a collared blouse!
A truly regal look, the heavy gold jewelry adds a powerful finish to this white lehenga outfit.
Tabu looks fierce and stunning in this red, orange, and gold lehenga – dressed as one of many modern versions of Draupadi.
