Drive past Basavatarakam Indo-American Cancer Hospital & Research Institute on Road Number 10 in Banjara Hills and you’ll probably drive right past a popular place for Hyderabadis to add their own glam to their Indian wear. The lane, adjacent to Madhu Silk Bhandar, is a small stretch of several stores which house custom embroidery services, ready patchworks and decorative ribbons.
The windows of the lane seem to light up with the golds and silvers from the ready-to-be-tailored blouse pieces proudly on display.
Nice Zari Handworks employee Mohammed explains the shop has been open for two years and attracts a lot of people over the course of the year, irrespective of the peak wedding season. “We do party wear embroidery and even everyday designs.” He oversees his staff of tailors and embroiderers — mostly men — who engage in their own quiet art. Sneha, a regular customer at store, works to help her clients get the exact customisation they want. She has seen how busy it can get during peak seasons. “I’m here three times a week,” she explains, “There’s a rapport we’ve established; I communicate with the customer through Whatsapp photos and we decide thereafter. Fabrics such as pattu go in and out of fashion or are preferred mainly for weddings, but raw silks, ikat, kalamkari and cottons are trendy all year round, so a lot of people request designs on those fabrics .”Shahid of K K Kreations explains the time it takes to finish these blouses, “Usually it takes two to three days, but the more extravagant embroidery, which requires more attention and materials, take up to four days.”Upon walking into Fashion Point just a few yards down the street, Mirza works with a look of pure concentration on a large sheet of emerald green cotton firmly stretched on a frame.
The flamingo pink and gold embroidery jumps out of the fabric with a stylish zest. Mirza’s wrist and fingers move with a rhythm and nimbleness that equates precision.
All the designers of the set-ups in the lane share that they rely on the nearby fabric stores for their resources. There’s a real feel of community here — everyone knows everyone, and there doesn’t seem to be a rough rivalry between the stores. The interiors of these shops are nothing to boast about, featuring plain white walls and functional furniture. But it’s the colourful and vibrant finished products that are hung up in their stores that steal the show. You can observe how the workers are humble and quiet and understand that their clients come first. They also share there’s a mutual loyalty their clients show towards their workmanship. The cost for customising your blouses are affordable and you will not see a compromise on quality or attention to detail.
