The Offbeat Sari

Hungarian-Indian painter Amrita Sher Gil, c. mid-1930s

Americans are expected to travel to Europe in droves this summer, and museums across the pond have been organizing major exhibitions to lure in the crowds. They’ll be something for everyone, whether you’re interested in seeing a retrospective of Gustav Klimt (the Belvedere), Donatello sculptures (the V&A), Michelangelo drawings (the Albertina), or the life and personal belongings of actress Sarah Bernhardt (the Petit Palais). But one of the most interesting exhibitions to this editor – who is hoping to visit the UK in late summer – is The Offbeat Sari at the Design Museum.

The Offbeat Sari examines the women’s garment traditionally worn throughout Southeast Asia as both an everyday clothing item and as formal dress. The exhibition looks at how the sari has changed over time from recent stylistic innovations, including the dozens of ways to drape it, to its cultural context. In addition, The Offbeat Sari will showcase around 60 garments in a variety of materials, fabric weaves, colors, and textures. With so much industry attention on India, from Dior staging its Fall 2023 show in Mumbai and showcasing Indian craftsmanship to Kolkata-based wedding designer Sabyasachi opening his first U.S. boutique in New York City just last year, expect India – like South Korea before it - to be the next country to have a big impact on Western culture.