The Cloak of Winter

Not too long ago,shawls in Punjab were heirloom investments. A mother’s delicately embroidered Pashmina,saved up over the years from wear and use,would eventually find its way into her daughter’s trousseau. The daughter in turn would flaunt it on cold wintry evenings and this showing off would most often lead to conversations on Pashminas along with Kani,Jamavar and even Toosh shawls. But with passing years,shawls have increasingly made way for shorter and trendier stoles manufactured in bulk. It’s rare to find a genuine Kani shawl from Kashmir. Kani shawls,for the uninitiated,are woven with peculiar needles following a special technique.

A true Kani shawl would take the maker anything from a year or two to stitch,depending on the complexity of the design. Masterpieces,like a typical Kani shawl,have been the inspiration for designer Nadia Sud to put together shawls under her label ‘Down the Ages’ and highlight delicate embroidery and patterns plucked out of the pages of history. “I was lucky enough to acquire a few antique pieces and I want to pass on the heritage,” says Sud,who is exhibiting her collection at Episode in Sector 9. It comprises a large assortment of shawls,stoles,capes and even woollen tunics.

Working on fabrics like pure Pashmina,silk Pashmina,tweed and knits,which she sources from Kashmir and Nepal,Sud’s collection can be classified into two segments — a rich,heritage line,and the other,a range of contemporary winter wraps. “This season,I have revived the lost art of hand-painted and hand-embroidered shawls,” says Sud,as she unpacks a multi-coloured Pashmina shawl. “These nawabi shawls have been hand painted first and it takes months for karigars to put it all together,” explains Sud. Her autumn-winter lineup is also an ode to the renowned 18th century artist and textile designer William Morris.

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A collection of floral designs in pastels,it comprises hand-painted and embroidered weaves.

“These are my take on heirloom pieces,” says Sud,who is also addressing demands of young women,who want fine drapes with contemporary leanings. There’s a set of stoles — cutwork,tassles,sequins,coin-work and digital prints among others. The collection is priced between Rs 1,100 to Rs 60,000.