Sonia Gandhi turns fashion guru for budding designers

New Delhi, Nov 8: UPA Chairperson

is known for her sartorial elegance. She is always seen dressed in some of the most elegant Indian wear, precisely sarees. But it is her mantra of keeping it simple, which helps her to stand perfect in her regular public appearances.

For a change, the President of Congress decided to don the hat of fashion guru to a group of budding fashion designers at her constituency in Rae Bareli, Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday, Nov 7. While addressing a group of 38-odd students graduating from the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) in Rae Bareli, Sonia advised them to keep it simple.

Sonia told students not to over-embellish and fashion does not mean opulence. Congress president recalled late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's "innate sense of fashion" and said that the simplicity of her elegance was admired the world over.

"Sometimes a single garment will have zardozi, beads, sequins, patchwork and crystals. Apart from completely overshadowing the wearer, such garments are very uncomfortable to wear," she said. "In my view, fashion does not mean opulence," Sonia told the gathering that included students and faculty of NIFT.

She said adding more ornamentation to garments was very easy, but that did not add up to fashion. "To find the right colour combination, cut and proportion in a garment to ensure that it is comfortable as well is more challenging for a designer, but it results in a garment that is timelessly stylish and elegant," said Sonia, dressed in a bright yellow cotton saree.

Fashion was not new to the country known for its strong aesthetic sense, she said. "Fashion has always been part of Indian life and culture. Indians have a very highly developed aesthetic sense, a sense of style and elegance which can be seen in the vibrant colours of a rural woman's sarees, her lehenga, ohrni or the cut of her choli or the myriad wonderful ways in which men wear their turbans. Every state has its distinct tradition of weaving, dyeing, printing, embroidery and beadwork."

According to Sonia, for centuries, foreign traders and designers have looked to India for the skills of its craftspersons and the sumptuousness of its textiles and jewelry. "This is a heritage that is truly unparallelled in its beauty, its richness and diversity. I hope that you will take inspiration from this," she told the students of NIFT.

Not only Sonia is a perfect guru to Congress leaders but at times she can be give few lessons in fashion too.

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