Archive · 22 Aug 2026
How Royal Chiffon Sarees Shaped India’s Fashion Legacy
Indira Devi was a royal woman who travelled widely in Europe.
During a visit to Lyon, France, she discovered chiffon fabric.
She liked it so much that she used it to make sarees.
Her sarees were nine yards long instead of the usual six yards.
Indira Devi and her daughter both obtained their chiffon from Lyon.
The decoration and finishing work were done in Calcutta, now called Kolkata.
Their special designs were kept private at first.
The designs were made available to the public one year later.
Indira Devi developed a preference for chiffon during a trip to Lyon, France.
She commissioned nine-yard sarees, longer than the traditional six-yard saree.
Indira Devi and her daughter sourced their chiffon from Lyon.
Embroidery, borders, and other finishing work were completed in Calcutta, now Kolkata.
Their saree designs became publicly available one year after their creation.
- Who
- Indira Devi and her daughter.
- What
- They sourced chiffon sarees from Lyon, with finishing work completed in Calcutta.
- When
- The designs were made available to the public one year after they were created.
- Where
- The chiffon came from Lyon, France, while embroidery and finishing were done in Calcutta, now Kolkata.
- Why
- Indira Devi fell in love with chiffon during a trip to Lyon and chose to use the fabric for sarees.
- Featured figure
- Indira Devi
- Fabric
- Chiffon
- Saree length
- Nine yards
- Traditional comparison
- The traditional saree is described as six yards long.
- Fabric source
- Lyon, France
- Finishing location
- Calcutta, now Kolkata
- Public release
- The designs became available one year later