Journalism of Courage
Premium
This is an archive article published on September 7, 2013
Ode to the Begum
In her comeback couture collection,designer Niki Mahajan pays a tribute to Begum Hazrat Mahal for her role in the 1857 Uprising
3 min read
It’s a story thats lesser heard in todays times and rarely mentioned in history books. But when Niki Mahajan first read about Begum Hazrat Mahal,the courtesan who became the queen of Awadh,the Delhi-based designer was overwhelmed. I was taken in by the courageous spirit of this woman,described as stunningly beautiful. She was brave enough to stand up against the East India Company during the 1857 Uprising after her husband fled,leaving his many wives and children.
The tale of the fearless Begum (she was 36 when she lead the 1857 Uprising),admits the designer,fired her up to design a collection that would highlight not just Hazrat Mahals character but be an ode to all the faceless women in history who have not got the recognition they deserved. There are many popular names that come in historical accounts of the 1857 Uprising but women like Mahal have been ignored. Not only did she challenge the hegemony of the British,but also rejected the promises of allowance and status held out to her by the British, says Mahajan. Her research also made her aware of the fact that Mahal who was sold to royal agents as a child to become a courtesan was not just beautiful but intelligent,charming and warrior-like.
With this story setting the base for her mood-board,Mahajan decided to roll out a couture collection while drawing inspiration from the Begums personality as well as the wardrobe of that era.
Seen as a comeback collection after nine years,Mahajan,who has been building her profile overseas for the last decade (she retails out of 150 stores across the world),will present it formally at a show to be held on September 14 in Delhi. While I have worked with talented craftsmen from Bihar,Rajasthan,Assam and other parts of country,for this collection,I have focused on badla embroidery from Lucknow, says the designer. A dying art badla is hand-intensive and laborious and requires skilled craftsmen,many of whom have long given up the craft to work as security guards or taxi drivers. I located the skilled workers in Lucknow and got them on board in our factory. We managed to rehabilitate 70 families who worked with us on this collection, says Mahajan.
The collection is divided into five sections,comprising lehenga sets,saris and slim Anarkalis. The style and colour palette of the five lines highlight Begum Hazrats life, points out the designer. The first line in white,ivory and pastel blues signifies the queens grace and progresses to deep red,depicting her marriage.
The mood is more sombere in the latter half of the collection as I draw from the period the Begum rebelled and was then exiled. She spent her asylum in Nepal, explains the designer. The exile phase is presented in an all-black collection that also highlights the fine badla work.
As many as 200 techniques of embroideries have been used to create this collection, says Mahajan. The choice to showcase this collection much after the couture weeks were over was intentional admits Mahajan. Its a large collection and I wanted to tell a story that goes beyond capsule show, she says.
Advertisement
Loading Taboola...
Top Stories
Live Blog
Advertisement