The beauty of Indian craftsmanship lies in its versatility—the manner in which one craft can be amalgamated with another to give a totally new dimension to the finished product. Like in couturier Anjul Bhandari’s new collection, Tala-e-Daura, where the Lucknowi art of chikankari comes together gloriously
with zardozi and kaamdaani to give an even more exquisite finish to her recently unveiled bridal ensembles.
An ode to an era of gold, the intricate hand embroidery takes the fine legacy of chikankari a notch higher with the touch of zardozi and other art forms from the Awadh region. "We wanted extra sparkle for the summer bride," says the designer from her workshop in the national capital.
"Our creations have always carried the beauty and intricacy of ek-taar and do-taar chikankari. While we delved into that heritage craft, our interactions with Awadhi craftsmen inspired us to dig deeper into how we can create something unique that would integrate other art forms from the region to help us champion those crafts from the area. Two main ones were zardozi and kaamdaani," elaborates the designer.
For Tala-e-Daura, Bhandari’s signature chikankari gets zardozi highlights for an extra gold and silver sheen that every bride craves on her wedding day. Those are further enhanced with gold and silver Japanese pearls. “It’s our style of showcasing all the stunning crafts the region of Awadh has to offer. The collection brings our efforts to fruition,” says Bhandari.
The collection includes Bhandari’s popular silhouettes such as Jama, Peshwa, Gharara and Dagla along with lehenga sets, saris and anarkalis that are generously dipped in old-world elegance and vintage charm. Some of the signature pieces of the collection are nude chikankari jaal saris, heavy chikankari suits and lehengas all embellished with gold and silver Japanese pearls. Exquisite zardozi work being the highlight in each piece.
Now, a bit about the depth of the chikankari work that Bhandari specialises in. Each ensemble flaunts the dexterity of Lucknowi karigars who painstakingly display traditional stitches of hool, bakhiya, kapkapi, bijli, chain, murri, jaali, karnphool and phanda on them.
“There are those saris that showcase all 32 stitches of chikankari craft. At our label, we continuously work at reviving the ancient art. The motifs and embroidery that enjoyed the Nawabi patronage. That is the luxury of chikankari, a royal art,” Bhandari explains.Her last collection, Nayab-e-Zama, enhanced new-world subtlety with old-world embroidery and silhouettes. “We were talking about timeless designs that carry the promise of becoming cherished wardrobe treasures.
There is also the beauty of kaamdaani work, done by the Shia sect of Muslims in Lucknow. Completely couture, it has to be brought back from the brink of extinction. My constant endeavour is to how to contemporise these old crafts to suit modern tastes. While working on the previous collection, we decided that the next one would play up chikankari with zardozi, without suppressing its subtle charm. Talae-Daura brought it to life,” says Bhandari, whose clients include Madhuri Dixit Nene, Vidya Balan and Kareena Kapoor Khan.
During summers, there is a line of crepe shawls beautified by traditional do-taar chikankari. But no matter what the season is, this label is truly a surreal universe of dreamy handcrafted couture.