Zari saree online has always been a personal favourite of mine; their regal grandeur giving them an aura of exquisiteness and glamour. An often-used quote ‘that a garment graced with zari is the epitome of nobility’ comes to mind.

Zari is one of the rarest and most fascinating weaving traditions from India, where molten silver is processed to become spools of silver threads, electroplated with gold, and then woven into a textile of silk or cotton. Its provenance dates back to the Mughal era; with design, patterns seeped in ancient customs and rituals.This thread is widely used for weaving zari saree online and selectively in embroidery. The dull thread is called ‘Kora’; and the shinier one ‘Chikna’. The modernist version of the zari thread takes on metallic undertone replacing the age-old gold and silver ones.

Surface texturing and zari embroidery enhance the value of traditional textiles; therefore seen customarily in bridal and occasion wear clothes like sarees, lehengas choli & kurta sets.

Indian artisans carry the legacy of weaving zari by hand. They start the process by tracing the design over the fabric. This fabric is stretched over a wooden frame to begin the arduous zari embroidery process. It is hardly surprising to see the possession of zari sarees online as the mark of a connoisseur.

I have shed light on some of the manifestations of zari I adore: 

Zardozi

An intricately dense form of embroidery employing a delicious blend of gold thread, beads, seed pearls and gota trim. It’s fortified on heavier fabrics like dupion silks, velvets. I love the embodiment of the zardozi and have used it in my zari sarees online collection.

The intricate gold thread zari and sequins embroidery add depth and texture to the beautiful ivory base giving the Chinar saree a luxurious feel.

The soft pale bluish-grey shade of the Mogra velvet saree with specks of gold and red zardozi embroidery gives it an ethereal quality.

Source: Zuhair Murad, Mogra velvet saree & Chinar gold zari saree by Dina Udupa

Kamdani

Kamdani is light needlework using flat wire and gold, silver or coloured threads. Satin stitch effect is created by pressing down on the wire; creating a glittering effect called hazara butti.

Source: Jayanti Reddy, The design cart & Valentino

Gota work

The warped flattened gold and silver wires and wefts of silk/cotton thread make the gota ribbons. As textile revivalists, my focus was on reintroducing gota work in its purest form possible. Therefore, I used it on the trim of the Chinar gold zari saree.

Source: Luxurionworld, Threadsandblocks, LabelKanupriya & DinaUdupa

Before I sign off for the week; I wanted to share an interesting tip I uncovered while researching for this topic. Zari embroidered garments should be wrapped in soft cotton or muslin cloth to avoid them from appearing dull over time.

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