Banarasi Silk: A Hit or a Miss This Festive Season?

Festive lights are brighter, silhouettes are bolder, but does Banarasi silk still reign supreme?

Few fabrics in the world carry the emotional weight of Banarasi silk. It’s more than just a textile—it’s a memory, a feeling, and a form of quiet luxury spun into lustrous threads. From heirloom trunks to bridal trousseaux, Banarasi has long been the gold standard of Indian elegance. But in a fashion landscape obsessed with reinvention, the question lingers: is Banarasi silk still a festive favourite, or is it risking becoming a relic of nostalgia? This season, the runways, weddings, and celebrity wardrobes suggest a clear answer. Banarasi isn’t fading, it’s evolving.

Cultural Fusion

One of the most refreshing reinterpretations came from Ananya Pandey, who made a compelling case for cross-cultural couture. Draped in a sky-blue creation by Ekaya Banaras, her saree was handwoven using the revered Banarasi Tanchoi technique, where motifs are woven directly into silk rather than embroidered. What made the look quietly radical was its Far Eastern inflexion, a standing collar inspired by the Chinese Qipao, a peek-a-boo neckline, and a delicate bow at the front. If 2025 were a silk saree, it would indeed look like this, rooted in heritage, yet speaking fluent modernity.

Black Beauty

Classics never truly go out of fashion. Draped in a black-and-gold saree by Swadesh and Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla, Sonam Kapoor embodied a mature, almost poetic vision of festive dressing. The intricate Kadha weaving and luminous zari borders felt ceremonial without being theatrical. There was something especially poignant about this moment, the idea that elegance deepens with time, and that motherhood has only sharpened her eye for timeless luxury. Proof, if ever it was needed, that restraint can be the most powerful form of opulence.

Ravishing In Red

Bridal red made its case for eternal relevance through Samantha Ruth Prabhu. Her custom creation by Arpita Mehta reimagined the Banarasi silk bride not as a spectacle, but as a spiritual vision. The rich silk carried a depth of emotion — intimate, luminous, and quietly regal. In an era of over-styled wedding looks, this was refreshingly grounded. The kind of ensemble that doesn’t chase trends, but instead, honours ritual. It was a reminder that some traditions don’t age; they deepen.

Monochrome Moment

Moving away from expected jewel tones, Shruti Haasan chose midnight black from Shanti Banaras, a bold and intelligent choice that signalled where contemporary festive dressing is headed. Her handwoven Banarasi saree, finished with fine silver zari detailing, proved that black silk can be as celebratory as crimson or emerald. There was a quiet drama in the drape, the kind that doesn’t announce itself loudly, but leaves a lasting impression. In a season of colour, this monochrome moment felt daringly fresh.

Ananya Pandey   

A complete shift in mood with Ananya Pandey once again, this time in a vibrant orange Banarasi brocade saree by Swadesh and Manish Malhotra. Radiant and playful, the look leaned into celebration unapologetically. The embroidered blouse with a tie-back and tasselled finish brought a lightness to the traditional weave, striking that rare balance between fun and formality. It’s the kind of look that makes its way instantly into festive mood boards, joyful, wearable, and unmistakably luxurious.

So, hit or miss? This festive season makes its verdict clear. Banarasi silk isn’t just surviving, it’s thriving, shape-shifting, and storytelling. Whether reimagined through global silhouettes, softened through intimate bridal moments, or dramatised through colour and contrast, it continues to be the fabric of celebration, not as an antique artefact, but as a living, breathing language of luxury. In a world that constantly chases the new, perhaps the real trend is this: returning to what never lost its soul.