CHENNAI: Kalkandu in mouth, rose-water scents all over, chandan, kumkum, dum-dum and pipi along with a beautiful bride and a charming groom — Indian weddings are loud, noisy, and crowded but the bride always looks like her best in a sari or a lehenga or a gown that’s a riot of colours and intricate patterns. “A while back, only the bride was enthusiastic about what she would wear on her big day. Over time, sisters, mothers and grandmothers from both the bride’s side and groom’s side have joined the ‘I want to look stunning’ bandwagon and aari work has become a favourite,” says Arulselvi Sekar (47), a fashion designer who has been running a boutique in Kilpauk for six years.
Priced from `700, aari work is in demand these days. According to Radhika Reddy, 29, who has been doing aari designs for movies, boutiques and others for four years, says, “When I started, brides preferred aari work only for their wedding ensemble but nowadays women like to spice up their wardrobes even for
casual events like birthday parties, college farewells, etc.”
Radhika conducts regular aari classes at her boutique in Purasaiwakkam. “Years ago, people only took to crafting aari designs when they could not go to school. Today, aari has become like a school syllabus in itself,” she chuckles.
Do foreigners come to her? Do they like heavy aari work? “My foreign clients don’t expect their garments to be heavily designed like my Indian clients do. They like butterflies, lines and varieties of leaves designed on their blouse,” she says.
Designing aari work is labour-intensive and time consuming. It begins with the designer drawing motifs on a tracing sheet and making holes along its outline. ‘Chappa powder’ or chalk powder is mixed with kerosene, and used to rub it on the holes to trace the design on the cloth. Designers sit in front of the aari cot or frame of varied lengths such as five, seven and 10 inches according to their design. Aari needle goes in and out ‘tuk tukkk...’ On an average, a designer takes three days to complete a design worth `4,000-`5,000.
General traditional motifs that are still popular are elephant, peacock, parrot, lotus and mango. Demand has gone up for jewel designs, matching the jewellery that you wear for the occasion with antique balls of 0-10 sizes. You also have kundan work with multi-coloured stones. But the common colours are mostly maroon and green, especially for those who prefer traditional designs.
Types of aari work Zardosi
Shiny and glittery spring called nakshi and normal spring called shadhi are two varieties of zardosi work.
Stone
Swarovski stones, zirconia stones, sticky stones made of plastic and mirror, rolling stone chain, kundan stone, crystal stones of various shapes such as eye, thilagam, diamond, round and square.
Beads
Tikki beads, mothi beads, khardhana beads, sugar beads, metal and plastic beads.
Embroidery
Around 30 stitches such as chain stitch, herringbone and cross stitch to name a few.