What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of Indian wear? Its rich exuberant colors, its lush embroideries or the myriad varieties of Indian wear that are available in the market? I believe its ALL OF THESE. Indian ethnic wear- be it sarees, suits or lehengas are all just way too eye catching to zero on any favorite element, but if we absolutely have to choose one, I believe our rich embroideries are the real show stealer. The kind of works that our karigars and designers incorporate on the fabrics can turn any ordinary cloth into a masterpiece.
We have such an enviable heritage of various types of works, embellishments and embroideries that trying to list them will take an eternity but lets narrow down to the Top 5 Indian works that are trending this season so that this festive season, you can flaunt the most on trend Indian Ethnic outfits -
1) CHIKANKARI
From the land of Nawabs and tehazeeb comes this beautiful form of enhancement called Chikan work, which is believed to have been introduced by Noor Jehan. In this technique, A chikankari piece is made by first drawing square printing designs on the fabric. Karigars then weave along the print, and the completed piece is later washed to remove hints of the prints. Customarily, Chikankari was earlier restricted to white-on-white weaving, but today the specialty utilizes an assortment of textures and hues. From white string weaved on calming pastels to hued silk strings, Chikankari has advanced into a craftsmanship for those with a desire for the better things. Chikan sarees look very elegant and can be seen flaunted by the who's who of the fashion and film industry.
2) PHULKARI
Phulkari is the weaving of floral themes on the cloth material. Traditionally what started as a hobby for the ladies to distract them from monotony, this art is now popular world over. The lines are weaved on the backside of the fabric in a way that the pattern comes out on the front. The texture utilized is generally a hand-spun or common colored khadi fabric. The contrast of colors is what makes this work very lively and festive.
3) DORI AND ZARDOZI WORK
Dori work is one of the most spectacular embellishments that has been made popular by Indian designers time and again. Unique and detailed designs are made by a strong chord using precious threads including gold, silver and copper threads for heavy outfits such as bridal lehengas. Pearls and stones are further used to embellish the outfit . Zardozi work lehengas and anarkali suits are much sought after around the wedding season.
4) MIRROR WORK
Mirror work or shisha work as it is also called, is a popular embellishment technique from Gujarat and Rajasthan. The Mughal Empire saw the main types of this workmanship in the seventeenth century. Accessible in three kinds (hand blown shisha, machine cut shisha and shisha weaving), this art uses mirrors and colorful string to create a brilliant symphony of colors and reflections. This embroidery uses peices of shisha in different shapes and sizes, sewed in the middle of a brilliant design. While mirror work skirts, cholis, suits and sarees are an absolute favorite during Navratris, designers use them on even on semi formal silhuettes to add a boho appeal.
5) KASHIDA
Kashida is a popular Kashmiri needlework technique, that was earlier used on garments such as stoles, woollen pherans and rugs but now is an integral part of sarees, suits and lehengas thanks to a lot of designers. Evocative motifs like birds, blossoms, fruits and trees—particularly the chinar—are created, usually in a single-stitch style. Another form of Kashmiri embroidery is aari, wherein floral-inspired motifs are embroidered in fine chain stitches using a hooked needle.
