Kangana Ranaut’s fashion sense is known to be trendy, but this time she drew inspiration from her native state. The actress-turned-politician dressed in a Himachali style featuring an eye-catching Himachali topi and a statement Kullu shawl for her visit with the President of India, Droupadi Murmu. Kangana, a BJP member of Parliament from Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, met the President at the renowned Hidimba Devi Temple. After the meeting, they met at the Paridhi Grih for a formal meeting. Let’s quickly decode her statement pieces.
Kullu shawls were traditionally made in plain, checked, and plaid designs until master weaver Tanjenram Bhagat revolutionised the craft in 1942, giving it a new identity. The art form received a GI tag in 2004. In both instances, Kangana retained the charm of the local traditional fashion. For her trip to the Hidimba Devi Temple, Kangana wore a beautiful olive-gold crushed velvet kurta along with salwar in a matching colour. The design looked comfortable and carried a straight silhouette, hence allowing the complex embroideries around the neckline and cuffs to shine. The embroidered bodice added brightness to the whole subtle outfit, where the shades of pink, royal blue, green, and orange panels were neatly arranged in the order of the traditional Kullu patterns of geometrical shapes, including rhombuses and triangles. Such embroidery continued on the wide cuffs as well, and a line of playfully small wool tassels of pink and blue gave a distinctive handmade charm to the kurta. The shawl that Kangana gifted to President Murmu served as more than a mere ceremonial present. Kullu shawls rank among the finest traditional handicrafts of Himachal Pradesh and are essentially best known for the distinctive geometric borders, which are quite colourful. Originally, the shawls were woven on twill looms. They can be woven from the wool of local sheep as well as other finer variants like pashmina, angora, and merino wool. The unique borders are created through the use of extra-weft techniques.
