Threads of tradition

Jasmine Singh

Well-known fashion designer Manish Malhotra recently spoke about the resurgence of phulkari at the Philadelphia Museum of Art; about how the graphic patterns are used as accessories now and in traditional as well as Indo–Western wear. As you get ready to layer yourself with winter clothing, you can still use the traditional art in your wardrobe!

New adaptations

Although phulkari has already moved away from clothes and is adapted for decor items — as cushion covers, wall hangings — some designers have again found ways to bring in back into your wardrobe. Harinder Singh, a phulkari curator and creative head 1469, recently designed adapted phulkari patterns on long skirts and turbans. “Phulkari was ideally used only as dupatta, but now you can see it on accessories that we have designed; of course, salwar suits for women, but this time I have designed phulkari pagdis and long skirts. A phulkari long skirt is the most beautiful and multi-purpose garment that you can imagine. It can be teamed up with a formal silk kurti or a shirt according to the occasion; it can also be worn at marriage functions.”

About the phulkari pagdi, Harinder calls it a touch of royalty and tradition for men. These are, however, pagdis that can only be worn on specific occasions. And there is certainly no dearth of occasions in a country like India!

Matter of fact 

For those of you who love the colourful pattern on phulkari, there were ideally 52 phulkari stitches but only few have survived. The ones that have made it this far are extensively used by designers in various outfits. Long phulkari jackets for women with a double base sounds like an ideal garment for winter. 

Also available online are short jackets and long coats, which are usually paired with ethnic-wear, especially a suit. Poonam Pawar has designed phulakri blouses to go with saris. “For a long time phulkari has only been used in suits and dupattas; last year though I custom-made a few blouses in phulkari, which sold like hot cakes,” she says. 

Poonam is already designing phulkari blouses in bagh and chope patterns, “I am using both embroidery and digital prints.” The next thing that is on her agenda is a phulkari sari; though she has already designed a lehenga for a NRI bride, she now wants to use the pattern for a sari. “I have designed a sari with phulkari border, but now I want to do the entire seven yard garment in this.” 

Flared up 

Well, the phulkari adaptations have gone a little ahead this time; pants are now also being revamped with the traditional art. Diljot Kaur Sandhu from Chandigarh has designed three trousers with phulkari bands for a fashion show. “This is the most widely experimented traditional art form; these trousers can be worn on formal as well as informal occasions.” 

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