Each sari was crafted for a special occasion, so each one has a special place in your heart. I am happy to see that now Farah enjoys wearing my old saris.

"I have been wearing Chorosch since my wedding day. The saris have a delicate but formal style which is forever in fashion." - Guni Murjani

"I love wearing my mother’s black net sari. It is over 50 years old and still looks stunning" - Indu Mahtani

[Indu Mahtani, Nandita Mahtani and Anu Mirchandani - Nandita sports a red sequinned chiffon sari. Mom, Indu teams a jade green Chorosch sari and Anu wears a red and black chiffon. All saris from B Chorosch's 2004 collection. All jewellery is personal]

The name, B Chorosch, may have a ring of mystery, but you have probably seen a picture of someone wearing one of her creations. The client list of the erstwhile designer includes some of India’s most photographed women: Rajmata Gayatri Devi, Krishna Raj Kapoor, Zinia Lawyer, Kamla Chellaram, Simi Garewal, among others. The lady behind the label, Bertha "Pape" Chorosch, a White Russian brought up in Switzerland, came to India during the last decade of the Raj. And the maharanis of yore immediately took to Madame’s designs, especially the royal houses of Gwalior, Indore, Nepal and Jaipur.

Madame Chorosch gave the sari a new look by pioneering the use of delicate hand embroidery on French chiffons, using shadow work, beads and sequins. Fusion may be a buzzword in Indian fashion today but over 70 years ago, Chorosch fused the Indian silhouette with Western sensibilities. Which is probably why her saris have such a timeless appeal. Many Chorosch wearers count these saris amongst their most prized possessions — heirlooms almost, that often pass from mother to daughter.

Though Madame Chorosch passed away in the ’70s, her legacy lives on, thanks to Amla Patel and Payal Asnani. Amla, who took over the House of Chorosch 20 years ago, says, "Initially, I used to spend hours and hours just unfolding patterns. There is such attention to detail." And it is these patterns that form the base of all Payal’s and Amla’s creations today.

A true testament to the classic appeal of Chorosch is the fact that many of Amla’s present-day clients are the daughters and granddaughters of Chorosch’s original clientele. For instance, Kamla Chellaram has been wearing Chorosch for over four decades and her daughter, Guni, who married Mohan Murjani in 1968, chose to wear one too. Guni’s daughter, Malini, whose wedding is scheduled for February, has tissue-wrapped some Chorosch saris in her trousseau. And Guni’s daughter-in-law, Arti, has recently been seduced by the elegance of Chorosch.

The Lawyer family also loves their Chorosch wraps. Zinia wore one to almost all her wedding functions in 1973 and two decades later, daughter, Farah, draped a Chorosch at her engagement to Riyad Oomerbhoy.

Ask Indu Mahtani which sari has special meaning for her and she will reply, "A black net, with sequin work. It was my mother’s, and I still wear it today." As Zinia explains, "Each sari was crafted for a special occasion so each one is very special. Chorosch workmanship is so beautiful, the designs so original, that I am happy to see Farah enjoying my old saris."

It is through this legacy that Payal has become involved in designing. She joined Amla last year and the duo is hoping to reintroduce Chorosch to a new generation. "Almost 50 years ago, my mother-in-law’s wedding sari was designed by Madame Chorosch, so whenever I wear a B Chorosch sari, I feel as though I’m continuing a special family tradition," she says.

Chorosch was one of India first couture designers but to make this design house’s appeal wider, Amla and Payal have decided to launch Chorosch’s first prêt collection. A collection that embodies the signature style of traditional Chorosch couture, yet interprets it in a contemporary way which remains true to the unique spirit and glamour of the original.