Two decades ago, filmmaker Muzaffar Ali forayed into fashion with his label Kotwara. The digression from films to fashion was ostensibly to provide livelihood opportunities to scores of Awadh’s craftsmen, who have been assiduously working with little remuneration coming their way.
Scrutinising his collection like a strict teacher meticulously checks the examination paper at his design studio on the outskirts of the Capital, the 69-year-old makes last minute alterations for the “India Bridal Fashion Week”.
Even though he is a trifle busy, Muzaffar still has at the back of his mind the well being of artisans whom he has seen as children playing with bountiful energy on the lanes surroundings mosques in the Awadh region.
These craftsmen, with flowing salt and pepper beards, are now in their 40s and 50s but continue to be a bundle of energy and infectious laughter. They are pursuing their ancestral profession passionately . But for the maestro, the karigars are like his little ones, whom he has to guide, steer and anchor at every stage.
“Way back in 1990, the label Kotwara was created with the aim to revive traditional crafts of the region. We also wanted to give a contemporary thrust through sensitive portrayal of the region’s ethos, upgrading its design content and creating modern day relevance in its application.”
The label integrates traditional craft skills of weaving silk, wool, brocade and cotton along with embroideries in chikan, kamdani and zardozi integrating innovative stitching techniques of tukri and daraz.
To ensure that karigar’s children are able to stand on their own feet, the designer launched ‘Dwar Pe Rozi’ entailing comprehensive education for the little ones.
“Undoubtedly, the exhibition will be centred around the Awadh region,” says the experienced practitioner of fashion.
“This collection is all about elegance, colour motifs and celebration of shaadi. Of course, Awadh plays an important role in my scheme of things. My collection is a tribute to craftsmen of the region, who toil relentlessly. The underlying philosophy of our label is to keep alive the craftsmanship of Awadh. In fact, the Kotwara label was unveiled with the intention of linking karigars with livelihood. We have 300 karigars specialising in hand embroidery, chikankari and zardozi,” he explains.
Different facets of Awadh will be unfolded in the nearly hour-long show. For the designer, the idiom is of utmost significance.
“Just like as it is important to keep alive the bhasha of every region of the country, similarly authenticity of a technique has to maintained at all cost. In classical music we have different gharanas which need to be preserved. In Awadh we have divergent design techniques which need to be kept alive for posterity,” he signs off.
