Every year, the Royal Ascot attracts hundreds of thousands of people to the world-famous racecourse in Windsor for a day filled with horse racing and Royal glamour.
On an extremely hot day not far from London, over a thousand women of British Asian origin descended upon the races on Ladies’ day, equipped in dresses which showcased the collision of two different traditions.
The women were armed with their ‘fascinators,’ and “hats” a key piece of headwear typically worn by women at Ascot, while also donning their traditional Sarees of various colours, bringing bright yet elegant colours to the event which also saw members of the Royal family attend.
The day was organised with Weavers in mind, an event supporting struggling saree makers in India.
“The idea was to showcase our heritage and traditional dress, and also to highlight the people who make these beautiful sarees, who come from very poor communities in rural India,” co-organiser Mamta Parekh told BBC News.
“We were hoping to raise awareness, and in addition, we raised money from the ticket sales which we are directly donating to Weavers.”
Mamta Parekh a Solicitor and Tribunal Judge , helped with the organisation of the event alongside many other Asian women in high-ranking positions, who collaborated to form British Women in Sarees , the brainchild of the Chair of the organisation Dr Dipti Jain a practising NHS doctor, who led the charge, singing and dancing
in between races wearing a bespoke Sari made by an artisan weaver bearing the great British icons for the Queens jubilee. It was the perfect combination of passion and fashion for Sarees and compassion for the people hidden behind the 6 yards of magic.
It was a very successful endeavour, as the Sarees on display certainly caught the eye while also providing a strong Asian representation at what is a typically English event, and helped draw attention to the plight of the people who helped make such vibrant sarees.
Most of the Ladies in attendance reside in England, but there were a number of women who flew in from India and Middle East specifically for the day, highlighting both the incredible amount of organisation behind the day as well as the importance of Indian representation in mainstream media.
By Rahul Lakhani
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This is fantastic! and must have beamed over the television screens not only in the UK but over the world for this prestigious events. Creative thinking on the part of the ladies to showcase humble saree in many exotic colours and style
sarees – No worries!