The Artisan's Pride

Chikankari, the pride of Lucknow, is no longer limited to traditional kurtas. In the hands of designers like Manish Malhotra & Gaurav Gupta, this craft gets a makeover Designer duo Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla have reinvented chikankari into a summer wedding staple Designer duo Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla have reinvented chikankari into a summer wedding staple Manpriya Singh Back in 2010, when Manish Malhotra first put out the craft of chikankari in his collection meant to reinvent the image of traditional thread embroidery, little did he anticipate chikankari turning into couture. Or, did he? With the designer already admitting to wanting to push the boundaries, both for his label and the craft, by translating easy everyday fashion into formal, and even wedding wear couture. “And we’ve been extremely successful with that attempt.” So much so that designer even spoke about the success of his venture during his visit to Chandigarh, sometime back last year. “The reception that we ...

Chikankari wraps, cheese tastings and a harp player at Isha Mehra’s Summer Soiree pop-up in Express Avenue If you are in an industry for 32 years, you get to know what works and what does not. That is what fashion designer Isha Mehra was counting on when she launched ‘Haveli by Isha Mehra’ last year. The niche curation steps out of home turf Mumbai for the first time, with the Summer Soiree at Express Avenue on Wednesday and Thursday. The central atrium of the mall will play host to 13 brands, including city-based designer Vivek Karunakaran, who will be launching a new line of menswear for Valentine’s Day. Isha, who works with son Pranav Mehra to put together these events, says, “Singer Kanika Kapoor’s House of Chikankari will be with us for the first time. It won’t be the usual   Lucknowi   kurtas  — she will have contemporary wraps and silhouettes as well.” Mehraab will bring   chanderi   collections for men and women, while silk saris from Roliana and I...

The year 2019 marks the 10th year anniversary of the house of Rahul Mishra, a laurel that the self-effacing designer carries lightly on his shoulders. The laurel has come along with several awards — the biggest of them being the International Woolmark Prize, the most recent being Ministry of Textile’s Threads of Excellence award that recognises him as global face of Indian fashion. The award comes close on the heels of his latest ‘Charbagh’ collection that was showcased at the Red Fort. In the last 10 years, he has come a long way from his humble background. He grew up living with his grandparents in village Malhausi, 53 miles off Kanpur. From studying in a government school, he went on to gain a graduate degree in physics. It was sheer chance that he joined the National Institute of Design. However, it was a scholarship from Istituto Morangoni for his debut collection, where he worked with handlooms from Kerala, that strengthened his belief in the need for artisanal empowerment...

The much-awaited fashion week of the year kicked off its opening show last night, a day prior to the official start. The event took place at The Royal Opera House, Mumbai. Scroll down to see the photos. 01   / 10 Titled as 'The (Un)folding', Gaurav's collection was a mix of handwoven fabrics, Lucknowi Chikankari work and Benarasi brocade along with the designer's signature gravity-defying pattern. The fashion show will be a five-day event and will officially start from 30th January till 3rd February.  (Photo Credit : Times Now) 02   / 10 In the curtain-raiser show, Tabu and Karan Johar were the show-stoppers of Gaurav's show and made it an extravaganza. (Photo Credit : Times Now) 03   / 10 Film-maker Karan Johar who was another show-stopper apart from Tabu walked the ramp in his edgy outfit. KJo wore a red sequinned jacket with black pants and totally slayed the whole look. (Photo Credit : Times Now) 04 ...

Fabindia ,   India ’s largest   lifestyle   retail brand, announces the launch of   India n Spring, the fresh new   Chikankari collection . Timeless, versatile and handcrafted the new range seamlessly blends the modern and the classic to appeal to present-day   fashion connoisseurs . The latest   Chikankari collection   consists of designs that are comprised of chikankari mixed with techniques like mukaish and khari. The palette features shades of ivory and beige juxtaposed with pastel hues for the summer in cool shades of light blue, mint and coral. Apart from luxurious kota weaves and handwoven Chanderi, the collection also includes mull cotton and cambric. The fusion of vintage floral designs with royal geometric motifs creates everyday pieces which are high on quality and rich in craftsmanship. The highly skilled and elaborate hand embroidery technique of Chikankari renders ornate motifs that are floral or geometric with attention to d...

    What do you think of Parineeti Chopra’s latest look? (Source: Sanjana Batra/Instagram) Pictures from the lavish Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Nick Jonas ’ wedding are finally being shared on social media and each is as impressive as the other. While the Quantico actor’s bridal looks were much appreciated. sister Parineeti Chopra is not too far behind. In one of the pictures shared online, she can be seen looking gorgeous in a Falguni & Shane Peacock lehenga. Styled by celebrity stylist Sanjana Batra, the heavilly embellished attire was accessorised with a statement diamond neckpiece. Parineeti Chopra in Falguni & Shane Peacock. (Source: Sanjana Batra/Instagram) In another picture, she looks lovely in a yellow outfit from the House Of Lucknowi Chikankari . She can be seen in a yellow crop top and matching pants, paired with a gorgeous dupatta with tassel detailing. Styled by Batra along with Akanksha Kapur, the ensemble is accessorised with gold earrings...

Gaurav_gupta Designer Gaurav Gupta is set to showcase his Summer/Resort 2019 collection with an opening show at The Royal Opera House, Mumbai on January 29. The (Un)folding –  the collection brings together the delicacy of handwoven fabrics with the sharpness of the designer’s signature gravity-defying patternmaking. The collection will showcase elements that are unique to Indian design: embellishments and textiles and highlights the designer’s love for origami folding and fluid-structural construction. The range includes many firsts for the label.  Lucknowi Chikankari  makes an appearance, draped into demi-couture dresses. As does a very particular tone of yellow that’s traditionally called basanti , literally the essence of sunlit Spring.  Benaresi  brocades are fashioned into deconstructed lehengas that are perfect for a modern bride on a destination wedding. Even his menswear features  chikankari  and brocades in unexpected ways. ...

Lakmé Fashion Week is one of the most coveted and anticipated fashion events every year, and this year it will be held between   January 30 and February 3, 2019 . Ace designer   Gaurav Gupta   will open the event with a show which will showcase his Summer/Resort 2019 collection at The Royal Opera House, Mumbai on January 29. The collection named   ‘The (Un)folding’   will put forward “his signature gravity-defying pattern-making” and is all set to showcase the delicacy of handwoven fabrics. Besides his love for origami folding and fluid-structural construction, his collection this year will also focus on embellishments, textiles, and highlights, which play a key role in Indian designs. ‘The (Un)folding’ will also include many firsts for the label. For instance,   Lucknowi Chikankari , an intricate traditional embroidery style from Lucknow, will make an appearance in Gupta’s collection. As will a very particular tone of yellow that is traditionally cal...

Designer extraordinaire   Gaurav Gupta   is set to showcase his stellar Summer/Resort 2019 collection with an opening fashion show in South Mumbai, on January 29. ‘The (Un) folding’ — the collection brings together the delicacy of handwoven fabrics with the sharpness of the designer’s signature gravity-defying pattern making. “I’m super excited to be coming back to Mumbai after four years with a very special, theatrical show at the Royal Opera House,” says the designer. The collection will showcase elements that are unique to Indian design: embellishments and textiles and highlights the designer’s love for origami folding and fluid-structural construction. The range includes many firsts for the label.   Lucknowi Chikankari   makes an appearance, draped into demi-couture dresses. As does a very particular tone of yellow that’s traditionally called ‘basanti’, literally the essence of sunlit spring. Benaresi brocades are fashioned into deconstructed lehengas that ...

Designers Gaurav Gupta and Shantanu-Nikhil unfurl their plans for a bold spring that is more about personality than gender Bringing together the delicacy of hand-woven fabrics with the sharpness of his signature gravity-defying, patterned designs, designer Gaurav Gupta is set to showcase his summer/resort collection —   The (Un)folding   — at the opening of the Lakmé Fashion Week 2019. Gaurav said his collection will bring together elements that are “unique” to Indian design, highlighting his love for origami-folding and fluid-structural construction through embellishments and textiles. He has included many first-time elements such as   Lucknowi chikankari   draped into demi-couture dresses, a particular tone of yellow that is traditionally called ‘ basanti’ , which means the essence of sun-lit spring and Banarasi brocades, which are turned  into deconstructed   lehengas , perfect for a modern bride on a destination wedding. Even the menswear f...

  At the ninth edition of Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit in   Gandhinagar , Fashion   Design Council   of India (FDCI) presented a fashion show highlighting the best of Indian craft and textiles. Seven designers participated in the show based on the theme ‘Make In India’, The show was held on the banks of Sabarmati on January 19. The designers who showcased their collections were Anju Modi, Gaurang Shah, Namrata Joshipura, Payal Jain,   Rahul Mishra , Rajesh Pratap Singh and Shyamal & Bhumika. In her collection ‘Raas Leela’, Anju Modi showcased mashroo, Banarasi brocade and matka silk along with techniques like gold foil print, gota patti work and zardozi embroidery. Gaurang Shah presented ‘Chitravali’, featuring kalamkari. It was inspired by Ajanta paintings on Kanjeevaram weaves. Namrata Joshipura showcased contemporary silhouettes with traditional brocades. Payal Jain’s pristine white ‘Blanc’ collection had tone-on-tone usage of chikankari, appliqu...