Bhanu Athaiya, 28 April 1929 - 15 October 2020. RIP.
This illustration is for a 1952 Eve’s Weekly and describes a blouse in which pink wool flowers are worked on a grey net which is then lined with grey satin. The flower centres are envisoned to be black beads but they also encourage contiuing with wool embroidery . The write up also discusses how the choli/blouse is more defiant than its older counterparts with a low, low V and near off shoulder square and a heart shaped neckline. The blouse is worn with a shaded pink and grey saree, probably chiffon.
Meher Castelino’s article gives a good sense of the costume designer and also of 50s styles. Athaiya remained partial to the coat paired with a saree, see for example even a latish film like Abhinetri,.
The young Athaiya. And as painted by Gaitonde. A little bit on her and the Progressive Artists’ Group.
My posts on Bhanu Athaiya.
