ZUHUR – CURATOR – JDADA2019

“Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need, but not every man’s greed”

—- Mahatma Gandhi —-

Designers Diana Philip and Anisha Tharika’s collection “Zuhur” was inspired by the Mughal architecture which was intricate, opulent and an artistic marvel. The collection integrates the delicate craft of Chikankari to showcase the geometrical motifs found in Mughal architecture. The designers have used sources readily available in nature to create natural dyes for the fabrics of their collection.

The Mughal architectural style is a mixture of Islamic, Indian, Turkish, and Persian styles. Hence, its artistic tradition is eclectic and is characterized by symmetry, geometrical shapes, and detailed ornamentation. Whereas, Chikankari originated in Persia and dates back to 3^rd century BC and means “wrought in needle” in Persian. The technique is delicate and adds a sense of grace to the wearer. It flourished under the patronage of Noor Jehan, wife of the Mughal ruler, Jehangir.

The traditional chikankari embroidery was inspired by nature and flowers, its stems, buti, leaves and paisley were used as motifs. However, instead of using floral motifs, the designers have incorporated geometrical motifs found in Mughal architecture. The technique, is usually found on traditional ethnic wear, however the designers have adopted the technique on modern garments.

Since, chemical dyes harm the environment; the designers have adopted non-toxic, ethical and sustainable practises. They recycled flowers used for decoration purposes, temples, durgahs and the leftover flowers at the florist that are usually discarded to create natural dyes. Through their collection they have not only tried to curate the delicate technique of chikankari but also advocated about recycling and reusing discarded flowers in making fabric dyes. This will further raise people’s consciousness about their far-reaching implications of their textile choices.