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Manish Malhotra SS 2013 Mijwan Sonnets in Fabric |
One of the most stunning fashion shows of Wills
Lifestyle India Fashion Week SS 2013 was
undoubtedly Manish Malhotra's "Mijwan Sonnets in
Fabric" showcasing Chikankari
embroidery by
village women from Mijwan, a small
village near Azamgarh, in rural Uttar
Pradesh, India. Nothing can
be more momentous or heartwarming than when Fashion
and Charity comes together ...
especially in a fashion show in a prestigious Fashion Week in front of a urban
global audience .. who are privileged to witness the miracles embroidered from
the dreams of rural India ... which is mostly unsung and unappreciated
...... We were stunned, riveted and absolutely ashamed of our
ignorance ... of the wonderful artistry of Chikan,
which belongs to the same pedestal as more globally prominent textile
art forms like French Laid Embroidery(White
Work), 18th century lace-like embroidery known as Dresden or Ayreshire embroidery from 19th century Scotland.
Sidenote : S is from Lucknow with family roots spreading to Azamgarh ...
this post took us long to write because of her heritage and emotional connect
to anything Lucknawi and Chikan ... we researched this post like never before
... therefore bear with us for the length of it :D ... you can see the pride
and wonder through the way S captured Manish Malhotra's tribute to Chikankari
in the magical pictures wayyyy below ( if you are the impatient sort who
doesn't like to read much ... you can scroll down to the clothes straight away
... hahaha ... but we really hope you will read it through for the sake of
Indian pride in our heritage) !!
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Chikan embroidery by the village girls from Mijwan |
Chikankari
It is a traditional embroidery style from Lucknow, India. Literally
translated, the word means embroidery. Believed to have been introduced by Noor
Jahan, Mughal Emperor Jahangir's wife, Chikankari was traditionally done only
on pure, un-dyed white shazaada cotton or Dhaka ki mulmul, both sourced from Dhaka, Bangladesh
(where the waters of the river Brahmaputra and Ganga meet and have bleaching
properties). The kutcha dhaagha (the thread) used for the embroidery, was also
white and procured from Calcutta or Dhaka. Chinkankari began as a ‘white on
white’ embroidery. Nowadays Chikankari is done on the the finest of white cotton fabric called muslin or mulmul and voile(for the
affordable low cost range). Chikankari has six
basic stitches and over thirty-five other traditional stitches used in various
combinations based on what the pattern to be embroidered requires. The six basic stitches are: Tepchi, (back Running stitch), Bakhiya
(double back stitch), Hool (Eyelet), Zanzeera (chain stitch), Rahet (stem
stitch) and Banarsi. Other stitches are phanda, chana patti,
ghaas patti, ulti jaali, bijli, jaali, kharau, keel, kangan, bulbul and hath
kadi. Depending on the type of garment and the pattern to be embroidered the
entire process happens in a series of stages over a period of months or even
years. Also, the embroidery itself is divided among the artisans, with pairs or
groups of three or more specializing in one particular stitch. When one group
completes their particular stitch for a garment, it is passed on to the next
group to add their specialty stitch. One group may also have mastery of two or
more stitches.
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Manish Malhotra |
Manish Malhotra
Noted Urdu poet and lyricist Kaifi Azmi believed that in a country like India where 80% of
the population lives in the villages, we will need to empower villages if India is to make any real progress. Towards
this objective, he formed an NGO in Mijwan, the village he was
born in, called MIJWAN WELFARE
SOCIETY (MWS) (1993) and worked tirelessly for the
empowerment of the people of the village especially women. Kaifi Azmi's belief
in gender equality and social justice was most powerfully reflected in his
famous penned lines 'Uth
meri jaan mere saath hi chalna hai tujhe' (Rise up my
sweetheart, you have to walk side by side with me) (Aurat, 1945). He began his tireless struggle towards economic
independence for the women of Mijwan and neighbouring villages in Uttar
Pradesh. In 1994, Kaifi
Azmi Embroidery and Sewing centre was set up on land donated by him.
After his death, his efforts are carried on by his actress daughter Shabana Azmi and Namrata Goyal (heiress
to the aviation behemoth Jet
Airways, owned by Naresh Goyal).
The Music
We have been giving you the music from the runway shows uptil now. The show started with Shabana Azmi reciting her father, the poet Kaifi Azmi's poetry. It was followed by Lament (noun: a passionate expression of grief), and the show ended with When I Still Needed You.
1. Lament - Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan / Michael Brook
The third song from the Album - Night Song, a collaboration by the Pakistani Qawwal singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Canadian ambient guitarist producer composer Michael Brook.(Nominated for a Grammy Award for Best World Music Album in 1997) ... it produces an aural experience perhaps only paralleled by the eyewitnessing of a faith healer at work, a miracle birth, or a natural disaster in this present-day world. "Lament" is plodding, desolate and dark, with Nusrat droning "without you there is gloominess--come back home sweetheart" as mellow background guitar sounds soar and slowly drift to the depths of one's soul.
2. When I Still Needed You - Afro Celt Sound System
"When I Still Needed You" is the opening track of Afro Celt Sound Systems album Anatomic .. It is a heart-wrenching epic that marries accordian, bouzouki, bodhran and other percussion, and superb programming with the impassioned vocals of Dorothee Munyaneza, a survivor of the Rwandan genocide ( if you don't know what we are talking about, ask our best friend Google :)
The Clothes
Earthy, subdued tones of ivory, burnt orange, creme, dull shades of red, pink and mehndi green, makes the collection extra ordinary. The needlework by the Mijwan girls was exquisite and phenomenal. Bollywood actress, Parineeti Chopra as the showstopper in her black and red ensemble, looked absolutely stunning.
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Parineeti Chopra showstopper !! |
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The final bow Parineeti Chopra, Shabana Azmi with Manish Malhotra |
Chikan craft has a global presence, albeit a very slender one ... Ancient Europe has been greatly enamoured of Indian fabrics from Greek and Roman times ... So fine and delicate were the Indian fabrics that the Romans romantically called them ‘textilli venti’ or woven winds ... It requires a great deal of economic interest and economic thrust to metamorphose it from a small but significant cottage industry .... into a commercially viable international enterprise ... wherein the beauty of the craft is not sacrificed on the altar of mechanical necessity, ..... but the Chikan workforce, .... made up largely of women ... are adequately compensated for their efforts .... and the aesthetic spirit of the beautiful whispering white woven winds, .... are restored to some semblance of their former glory. For this we salute the efforts of designer Manish Malhotra !!
This has been a very emotional post for us ... though the show was held on Day 2 of Fashion Week ... we were very embarassed to put up a post where the highlight was Chikan ... everyone Indian has at some point of time worn Chikan embroidery ... it is familiar to us, but we have never appreciated our heritage enough to delve into its beautiful history ... in case you want to brush up on your knowledge, we recommend Sheila Paine's book Chikan Embroidery : The Floral Whitework of India. .... until next time,
DS
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hey.. awesome collection ,, love it,, thanks for putting it here,, with the details, really good work.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much ....you motivate us !!
DeleteNice post and awesome collection. love it. thanks for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jessica ... liked your e store :)
Delete