Exotic embroidery

Indian embroidery cannot be replicated elsewhere. It is the skill and finesse which give
the craft a distinctive look, says Sita Mehta

What sets an Indian garment apart from the rest? In this age of globalisation, when everything is available everywhere, you cannot merely trust the designer’s label to be sure. That can be easily sourced – just as the fabric, pattern, colour schemes, embellishments and accessories can be generated anywhere anytime.

Embroidery designers have become adaptable to the demands of the fashion industry

But there is still one element that is identifiably Indian and as any overseas designer would readily acknowledge, cannot be replicated elsewhere. It is the skill and finesse that goes into embroidery, which gives an Indian garment its distinctive look.

Many may scoff at the over-emphasis on embroidery when minimalism should be more of an in-thing. Yet, no designer can do without a dash of ostentation, even with well-constructed, tailored western outfits, not to mention conventional salwar-kameezes, kurtas, lehnga-cholis and sarees.

In all this, zardozi happens to be the most popular and sought after embroidery form with all Indian designers. Traditionally, it used to be executed in gold and silver wire (salma and sitara, respectively) on rich textiles like silk and velvet.

But today, for a salwar-kameez or jacket, plain silk thread (which produces a metallic sheen) is used and instead of patterns stamped from wooden blocks, impressions are made with gum and chalk from paper stencils. The embroidery is done by hand, using needles of different sizes.`A0Often readymade shapes of the material, with names such as nakshi, sadi, kora and kangani are stitched on to form a variety of zardozi patterns. This material is purchased by weight and is available in grouped sections or bunches known as lachhis, held together by a fine string.

Then there is chikankari. The most significant development in this form of embroidery is that craftsmen have turned adaptable to the demands of the fashion industry. Earlier, in the pretext of holding on to time-honoured customs and traditions, they were reluctant to "compromise their craft" to market forces.

Star designers Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla discovered this when they went to Lucknow to get some chikankari embroidery done. Much to their amazement, they found craftsmen not only willing to experiment with newer fabrics like chiffon, but also innovate on their technique.

The designer duo recorded their experience in a book thus: "In 1993, when we visited Lucknow first, we asked if chikan work can be done on fabrics other than cotton. The answer was always negative till we told the workers the risk was ours and they better do as we told them. They kept telling us we were crazy.

`A0"The printer used to do thousands of pieces in a day, going chaap chaap with the same wooden block, printing the same design, doing random printing like an automation. Suddenly, we traumatised him by telling him to print the design around the neck or sleeve border – defining them with particular motifs.

"The chikan workers had all followed a particular method for so many generations and here we were making new demands on their skills and making them go back a hundred years to the innovative traditions of their forefathers. Naturally, there had to be some resistance."

In her recent collection of temple saris, Anjana Kapoor applied chikan embroidery on silk for the borders and on white odhnis and stoles. Crinkled lehngas, short cotton kurtas and knee-length skirts also made a celebration of this ancient embroidery tradition.

Another designer making waves with chikankari is Vinita Rastogi of India Vibrations fame. She has combined tiny beaded pearls and shimmering sequins with chikan work in an exquisite collection chiffon saris, silk cholis and gorgeous lehnga-cholis in reds greens and blues!

Phulkari and bidri are two other embroidery forms undergoing a revival of sorts. Nimisha Gokhale had her wedding line of body-hugging kurtis and long skirts in jewel tones with satin applique, emphasised with phulkari and sali (or tube work). On bidri work, the most notable collection comes from Renu Jolly with her range of cocktail saris, cholis, kurtas and salwar-kameez ensembles. Significantly, they were all in black – which makes the embroidery stand out prominently.

Then there are certain embroidery forms involving mirrors, beads, stones, shells`85 even jute ropes which find expression in casual wear – strapless halters, one-shouldered tops, back-less blouses, lachas and skirts with asymmetrical hemlines. For some strange reason, nobody takes them seriously. — MF