fashion, design and old world charm
We’ve all heard of recycling and upcycling, recreating new garments with the old. Following the same principle, there exists an eclectic, beautiful textured handloom textile that is literally a saree recreated by scraps of older sarees! The process is fascinating yet simple…
The warp is with new yarn and the weft is with strips of thin cloth obtained by tearing old sarees length wise. For non textile experts, this simply means that long, thin strips of cloth cut from old … Read Full
White on white chikankari is a soothing, pristine and royal textile to wear – the feeling takes you all the way back to when Noor Jehan, wife of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, probably introduced it.
This beautiful, long kurta is sustainably special in many ways
– it is a hand-me-down, and I always promote raiding and reusing clothing from wardrobes around you especially when it comes to gorgeous Indian textiles. Buy Less, Use More.
-it features exquisitely intricate shadow handwork … Read Full
This look is inspired by a resplendent portrait of Maharani of Cooch Behar, Indira Devi – mother to Gayatri Devi. A passionate, fierce and unstoppable woman, with an immensely interesting life story narrated later in this post. AIn her portrait we find a glimmering tissue blouse, three tiered pearls and a sheer saree creating a classically royal look which was quite the favorite among the globe-trotting Maharanis of Cooch Behar. Bare face, dark lips and natural beauty are a quintessential … Read Full
My primary inspiration to style my dailywear looks always leans towards making my outfit revolve around my accessories – and this handcrafted beadwork neckpiece is the star of this look. To give you a quick mental association, think of the quintessential Gujarati torans with the coconut, animals, “Welcome” or “Shubh Labh” played out in tiny colourful beads and you’ll know instantly what craft this piece comes from. Traditionally handcrafted beadwork jewellery is BIG in accessory trends right now, although the … Read Full
Continuing the #desidrapes rainbow series, today is the day for a beautiful dhakai jamdani handloom saree as blue as the Mediterranean sea. Traditionally, muslin patterning in the extra weft technique is known as Jamdani and Sir George Watt gave the fine muslins of Bengal the name of “ring muslins,” after testing their fineness by passing them through a ring. However, this was no secret to … Read Full
for the #desidrapesrainbow, this divine gajji silk could be equal parts madder burgundy as it is indigo as it is black but I still dream of ajrak whenever I think neel, indigo, the night sky, the stars, the universe.
A divine ajrak on gajji silk from @fabindianews, this textile indigenous to Kutch is a match made in heaven with the tediously, intensively, magically surreal … Read Full
Basking in mango sunshine and deep blue handloom bliss today for a collaboration with the lovely @chenetha.andhraweaves – her instagram shop is a MUST SEE for beautiful handloom sarees mostly locally sourced southern textiles, and especially for the vividly hued kadapa cottons which are sold at surprisingly affordable rates (it will make you lose control, it definitely did that to me).
playing with this gorgeous and so aptly named “jharna” saree today, when I first touched it I wondered if … Read Full
A drape for the #cocktailrani series, and celebrates how the saree, as a drape and an ensemble, is having quite the fashionable moment on social media, with gorgeously inspiring ladies around the planet posting their stylish takes on how versatile and chic it can be.
Ever since I discovered Suta, I’m 100% convinced that nothing embodies and envelopes sensuality like handloom mulmul does (georgette? what georgette). The buttery, breathable softness this textile offers can NEVER compare to any … Read Full
My birthday look was inspired from Maharani Gayatri Devi, the unforgettable Rajmata of Jaipur and formerly Princess of Cooch Behar.
An eternal icon, a classical beauty, an avid equestrienne, a curator of luxury, a sparkling intellectual, a legendary social influencer, one of the finest among Indian royalty and so much more.
The moment I found this absolutely stunning Made in Heaven handloom mul from the beloved Suta, it was destined to be paired in all it’s ephemeral, sustainable glory with … Read Full
A drape from my mother’s closet, this delicate white on black features lucknowi chikankari work – how beautiful a process to imagine, that these delicate motifs were worked on at the back of the sheer georgette to reveal the design on the front face of the fabric with absolute finesse. Here’s a closer look at the detail and stitches used;
I’m going to be talking about two traditional chikan work stitch styles seen in this saree, so here goes…