I’m not quite sure why we still celebrate Columbus Day here in the US, but I’m not going to complain about having an extra day off to nurse my sinuses back to health, do a little bit of online shopping, and catch up on all my favorite food and Indian fashion blogs.

Today’s post has nothing to do with food, though if you’ve been following me on Instagram, you know I have a yummy Burmese noodle recipe to share soon. Instead, I wanted to give you a sneak peek into what’s been inspiring me lately. I’ve been obsessed with Indian fashion for a while now, but especially after I started planning my big fat Bengali/Punjabi wedding two years ago. I would scour Indian fashion blogs, Pinterest, and online shopping sites to find inspiration for my own bridal outfits and would find myself in awe of one particular designer. The one and only Sabyasachi Mukherjee.

I had a chance to experience Sabyasachi’s Spanish-inspired Indian collection in person at the IIFA Awards when they were held in Toronto back in 2011. It was truly love at first sight, and I’ve been following his work closely since. I love his ability to fuse antique textiles and traditional Indian styles with an incredibly modern aesthetic. His style is constantly evolving and very universal in its impact, but he manages to stay true to his Indian and Bengali roots which is really admirable considering how much richness our culture has to offer.

There are two recent Sabyasachi campaigns that I am particularly obsessed with. In the “Revive Banaras” collection, Sabyasachi repurposes traditional Bengali banarasi saris into more modernized lehengas and saris. As someone who proudly wore a banarasi sari for her own wedding, I love the idea of Sabyasachi bringing them back into the limelight and making them more relevant and tangible for a modern audience. The colors are bold and rich, but the styling and details are elegant and understated. I just love the way he’s styled this entire collection and selfishly wish it came out a few years ago before my wedding! Just how gorgeous are these pictures?

The second campaign I’m obsessed with is an editorial/ad campaign for Conde Naste Traveller India, styled by Sabyasachi and featuring Aishwarya Rai Bachchan looking more stunning than ever. I’ll let the pictures speak for itself, because it’s not hard to tell why I’m in love with everything about this campaign. I mean, just look at that floral white sari with those impeccable pearls. Flawless.

Leave a comment if these campaigns inspire you as much as they inspired me! I’d love to hear about what other Indian designers you’ve been following and why you love them. xo.