
THE OFFBEAT SARI
Woven steel, distressed denim and the first ever sari worn to the Met Gala all feature in the Design Museum's landmark sari exhibition unveiled today, The Offbeat Sari. The Design Museum today unveils a major exhibition examining one of the world’s most recognisable items of clothing.
The sari – which has enduring appeal and is ubiquitous across India and South Asia today – has experienced a radical 21st century overhaul. It is “experiencing what is conceivably its most rapid reinvention in its 5,000-year history.”
The Design Museum explores this reinvention in its summer exhibition, shedding a rare spotlight on contemporary Indian fashion for UK audiences. Today’s unveiling of the exhibition reveals a show that includes saris made of woven steel, distressed denim and the very first sari worn to the famed Met Gala, which is being shown in Britain for the first time.

Image: Ashdeen. Photo Hormis Antony. Above image: Raw Mango. Photo Shubham Lodha.
The Offbeat Sari is the first large-scale exhibition in the UK to focus on the contemporary sari in India. It is curated by the Design Museum’s Head of Curatorial Priya Khanchandani. The show brings together around 60 examples of trailblazing saris made over the past decade, nearly all of which are on loan from designers and studios across India and have never been seen in Britain before. Through the textures, weaves, colours and drapes of these beautiful textiles, visitors will experience a unique snapshot of the fashion revolution the sari is experiencing right now..................................
The sari – which has enduring appeal and is ubiquitous across India and South Asia today – has experienced a radical 21st century overhaul. It is “experiencing what is conceivably its most rapid reinvention in its 5,000-year history.”
The Design Museum explores this reinvention in its summer exhibition, shedding a rare spotlight on contemporary Indian fashion for UK audiences. Today’s unveiling of the exhibition reveals a show that includes saris made of woven steel, distressed denim and the very first sari worn to the famed Met Gala, which is being shown in Britain for the first time.

Image: Ashdeen. Photo Hormis Antony. Above image: Raw Mango. Photo Shubham Lodha.
The Offbeat Sari is the first large-scale exhibition in the UK to focus on the contemporary sari in India. It is curated by the Design Museum’s Head of Curatorial Priya Khanchandani. The show brings together around 60 examples of trailblazing saris made over the past decade, nearly all of which are on loan from designers and studios across India and have never been seen in Britain before. Through the textures, weaves, colours and drapes of these beautiful textiles, visitors will experience a unique snapshot of the fashion revolution the sari is experiencing right now..................................
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