It has taken the team of artisans at Ahilaya a month or two to make each piece, says Farha Ansari, the New York-based designer of the label’s latest collection.
Farha and her sisters (Nagma and Sana) take care of all the Ahilaya stores across the country, a label that their father, Anwar Ahmed Ansari, started in the 1960s in Mumbai. Ahilaya is known for its range of clothing featuring intricate hand embroidery with a thrust on chikankari supplemented by zardozi.
“The embroidery is all hand-done, it is a time-consuming and deeply intricate process. The master craftsmen take care of that and make visually compelling and technically proficient pieces. We pay attention to the front and the back of the garment so the client looks great both while entering and leaving the room,” says Farha, adding that the label is patronised by a range of celebrities from Hilary Clinton to Ivanka Trump.
“What is great about this collection is that the clothes can be dressed up or dressed down, they are suited for both black tie and casual events.”
Ahilaya also offers custom sizes going up to size 50 and more. “We also have a range of accessories from shawls to pants which make for great gifting options. We even have a range of kids wear, we have something for everybody.”
Ahilaya usually works with handloom fabric to make singular pieces that lay emphasis on attention to detail.
“We scrutinise each step of the production process because a minuscule change in the embroidery can change the tone of the garment. We want the colour specifications, and embroidery specifications to work together and coordinate perfectly,” she explains.
“We also take the inputs of the weavers because we want them to be comfortable. At the same time, we also need to retain the design aesthetic; we ensure they feel involved in the process, most often on the technical aspects. Sometimes they may be a little resistant to change but it can be worked out. We like to take our artisans, weavers and employees forward with us. It’s a process that goes across the board.” One of the biggest challenges the team faces, is in the blending of natural fabrics with hand embroidery to deliver a commercially viable product.
“It is extremely difficult to do Chikankari work on handloom fabrics because the fabrics tend to fray. So we not only have to work with trained artisans, we have to train them further to enhance their abilities. Over the years, we have evolved to present the centuries-old vintage chikankari, which is a rarity now. We are moving forward by taking a step back. Our collections have also become more intricate, more difficult to produce and more visually compelling.”
The label also keeps in mind that the clothing is compatible with Indian climate while straddling its global clientele.
“This means the clothes need to be easy to pack and to take away. We have a versatile, eclectic assortment of hand-embroidered clothing with an uncommon wavelength, unusual to the contemporary market.”
Farha says her love for hand-embroidery and chikankari is ingrained in her psyche, passed down to her from her father.
“It is a dying art, we want to be able to preserve it and ensure Indian heritage remains on the map. It needs to be appreciated for what it is. Each of our garments last a long time, it is a great investment. It is beautiful, aesthetic, durable, and sustainable. You’ll get a million compliments.”
