Artisans are sewing new life into zardozi

canada goose uk outlet Helicopters etched in gold on denim jackets, kitschy autorickshaws on shawls, an Eiffel tower in copper on a pair of jeans zardozi is changing its world view. canada goose uk outlet

The word zardozi is Persian for with gold This intricate work was once restricted to gold thread and floral patterns on rich materials like satins, velvets and silks. Now, it being used to create colourful Pokemon and parrots, aeroplanes, butterflies and peacocks using an array of metallic threads.

Canada Goose Jackets takes years to learn how to embroider with metal yarn, but once you master it, zardozi is a very versatile craft, says Ritu Sethi, chairperson of the Delhi based Craft Revival Trust. Canada Goose Jackets

started making its way back into the fashion industry canada goose discount uk post liberalisation, in a more modern, more minimalist form, and we now seeing it on evening dresses and am/pm wear, on tops, pants and kurtis. Even on ripped jeans. The trend trickled down canada goose outlet to zardozi over the past decade, and embroiderers in the hubs of Surat, Lucknow, and Mysuru began to see the nature of their orders change.

canada goose clearance Artisans in traditional zardozi hubs such as Surat, Lucknow and Mysuru say quirky motifs like motorcycles, umbrellas, parrots, tigers and camels are in demand, on a range of materials from cotton to denim. canada goose clearance

I used to make Rs 5,000 a month doing wedding lehengas and saris for wholesalers in Kolkata and Mumbai, says Irfan Khan, 30, from Surat who canada goose outlet las vegas has worked in the trade for 15 years and heads a team of eight. years ago, they started to ask if I could make Eiffel towers, animals and Gandhi spectacles on canada goose outlet in canada cotton, polyester and georgette for kurtis and dupattas. They say such designs are popular there. Once I started saying yes to those orders, I started getting more work. I now earning about Rs 18,000 a month. can replace the gold thread in zardozi with almost any metal, dye the thread any colour, twist it into new patterns, and that suits this new generation of designers and buyers, says Tasneem Merchant, a designer and guest faculty in trend forecasting at the National Institute of Fashion Technology. is also not a flat form of embroidery; it stands out on the fabric, adding an element of quirkiness, which is what many buyers are looking for.

like zardozi, but not in the traditional motifs, says Kalia. want things like zardozi pineapples on scarves and pants; burgers and fries on bags, jackets and even ties. STITCH IN TIME

Canada Goose online On the outskirts of Surat, at a 30 year old workshop in a row of such workshops, eight zardozi artistes work on orders for a client in the UAE. Canada Goose online

uk canada goose It takes a long time to master the art of embroidering with metal thread, but once you have, the gold can be replaced with almost any metal and the thread dyed any colour, making the craft extremely versatile, designers say. uk canada goose

canada goose coats on sale (Satyabrata Tripathy / HT Photo) canada goose coats on sale

include a 4 ft Eiffel tower, a Pokemon on georgette for a skirt, says Karima Babi, 45, one of the zardozi workers. wasn easy getting used to these new ideas, she adds, laughing.

canada goose uk shop Strange as they may be, the demands are welcome, says Champalal Bothara, general secretary of Federation of Surat Textile Traders Association (FOSTTA). embroidery machines came canada goose outlet in montreal became common a decade ago, zardozi craftsmen in Surat and other parts of the country started losing business. That because it is hand embroidery and so it takes time and it expensive. They then some years ago, these new demands began coming in and now they are earning thousands every month. see as much demand for this kind of work from the US and UK as we do from Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai, adds Kalia. canada goose uk shop

canada goose store Ballal says the aim is to make it possible for anyone in https://www.canadagooseonline.info the world to canada goose outlet germany wear zardozi without having to necessarily wear something ethnic. canada goose store

canada goose needle now runs on every kind of fabric chiffon, cotton, denim, even leather, she says. sometimes is integrated with other forms of handwork and embroidery like zari, aari and gota patti. We use it on bags, pouches, cushion covers and jeans. Such items are ordered in bulk for buyers in India and overseas. You also spot them in design exhibitions. And being popular has made it more popular, because that is the nature of fashion. canada goose

(Satyabrata Tripathy / HT Photo)

How does someone who has only ever done the same design suddenly figure out how to create a tiger or an autorickshaw using the same techniques and tools? That is one of the challenges, workmen admit. has increased and pay has increased, says Khan Ali, 37, a craftsman from Mysuru canada goose outlet seattle who works with Ballal. grandfather got two orders a month, and I get 10. But he never had to canada goose outlet store quebec research, attend workshops. Things were simpler then. There is a lot of design intervention and innovation now.

grandfather got two orders a month, and I get 10. But he never had to research, attend workshops. Things were simpler then. There is a lot of design intervention and innovation now, says Khan Ali, 37, a craftsman from Mysuru.

look at photographs of a Harley Davidson bike, tinker with how we will represent symbols canada goose outlet legit of the zodiac signs. The embroidery is as intricate as it used to be, so it takes time and effort to get it right. Sheikh, 29, a fifth generation zardozi craftsman, recently learnt how to create a likeness of the Hindu deity Venkateshwara using metal thread on silk, for sari blouses. was a canada goose outlet los angeles difficult design to learn, he says, it helped me earn better in the wedding season.