When one of the most prominent names in silks and a versatile style icon come together, it is bound to be an impressive show. Deepam Silk International’s launch of the Timeless Cocktail Saree collection by Shobhaa De at the city’s Taj West End was just that.

Calling Bangalore a home on many levels, the consummate columnist dazzled the elite audience as much with her wit as her asymmetrical collection bearing the stamp of her  distinctive unconventionality.

A self-proclaimed ‘sari activist and champion’, De is the pioneer of the glamorous genre of cocktail sarees, an alluring alternative to “boring predictability of the little black dress”, which reaches out to the niche market that demands“ wearable sarees that do not border on the overly casual or the excessively bridal”.

The collection is also one of the many firsts for Deepam, which has launched numerous designers and collaborated in the past with the likes of Ritu Beri and Manish Malhotra. “We have always explored new avenues in fashion to respond to the slightest needs of customers.

No woman wants to be common. This set of 200 designs pampers contemporary, socially active women who need to look unique and don’t mind splurging,” says M Chandrashekhar, MD of Deepam.

Choreographed by Prasad Bidapa, the show began with an elegant lamp sequence to mark the festive season. Models displayed the colourful range of De’s creations in demure whites, vibrant blues, reds and striking blacks.

Strewn generously with beads and sequence, the seductive sarees in shimmering georgettes, chiffons, nets and silks and their ingenious blouses are inspired by an unusual mélange of Japanese, Egyptian and the country’s own bandhini motifs.

A blatant critic of the mindless aping of the West, De sees the saree as a precursor of revivalism in fashion.“ Japan may have turned its back on the kimono, but that’s a more complex garment,” she explains. The saree may have reached its zenith of perfection, but it still allows room for individual expression. Remarks Bidapa,  “The saree hides all ills. Women discover its magic when they can’t fit into those jeans anymore.”

At the end of the show, with plentiful urging from the lady herself, three sarees for Rs. 25,000 each were auctioned, proceeds of which went to NGO Parikrama that rehabilitates slum and street children.

About her foray into fashion, De declares with her signature boldness, “I’m not a designer. I just want to share my love for this ageless garment with like-minded people. This for me is a business venture, not an ego massage. I’m beyond a stage where I need to prove a point to anyone.” Point taken, Mrs. De.