“The traditional Indian sari is very difficult, you know, to understand and wear. It's tedious to wear,” long-time customer Kirti Sharma, 26, said while adding that she owns several Sabyasachi saris.

“The blouses are simple, slip-ons. Sometimes it's already tied - the pleats - so you can just tuck it in and ... and you are ready to go. So things like these have of course made it very easy.”Mukherjee plans to open more stores across India, where he currently has four shops, before expanding overseas a few years down the line.

“It's the biggest mistake for Indian designers to ignore the sari. Western brands have so much more experience with western clothing and they can pretty much obliterate local competition as they enter our market,” he said.

Since he gave the sari a shot in the arm, several other Indian designers have experimented with the garment, using materials such as lycra and leather.

Fashion industry observers say Mukherjee's success reflects an emerging self-confidence among Indians who are keen to hold on to their past while the country undergoes significant change.

Vasudev said its appeal among Indian women revealed that “deep in our insides we still want a piece of our mother's closet, our grandmother's closet”. She added: “We are not so comfortable with the shortest dress, with the little black dress. And if we are, we must have a piece of India as well.”