Memoirs of a Mughal
“…AS A YOUNG GIRL, I ADORED READING ROMANCE NOVELS ABOUT PRINCESSES IN FARAWAY CASTLES, AS I’M SURE MANY OTHER GIRLS DID TOO, BUT MY PRINCESSES ‘RANI’S’ LIVED IN PALACES, WEARING BEAUTIFUL LEHENGAS AND JEWELS, WITH FRESH FLOWERS IN THEIR HAIR AND MEHENDI ON THEIR HANDS. THEY WERE ALWAYS SURROUNDED BY STUNNING TEXTILES, BLOCK-PRINTED LEHENGAS AND SARIS. THE FACT THAT I GET TO WEAR THESE SAME TYPES OF BEAUTIFUL TEXTILES NOW, IN THE 21ST CENTURY, FEELS LIKE SUCH A PRIVILEGE. WHEN I WEAR MY BLOCK PRINTS, I FEEL LIKE ROYALTY, AND THAT’S EXACTLY HOW I WANT EVERYONE WHO WEARS THEM TO FEEL.
THE COTTON IS SO LIGHT WEIGHT, SOME OF THE PRINTS DESIGNED BY ME, OTHERS ARE CENTURIES IN THE MAKING. EACH PIECE IS FINISHED BY ARTISANS IN INDIA, WITH SUSTAINABILITY IN MIND, AND MADE ONE-OF-A-KIND FOR SOMEONE WHO WILL TRULY LOVE AND TAKE CARE OF IT.
I’M A HUGE THRIFTER AND LOVE FINDING UNIQUE, ONE-OF-A-KIND PIECES, WHICH IS WHY I’M STARTING WITH A SLOW FASHION MINDSET. I WANT EACH PIECE TO FEEL LIKE A TREASURE, SOMETHING THAT ONLY YOU HAVE. I DON’T REMAKE PIECES WITH THE SAME FABRIC BECAUSE I FEEL IT LOSES ITS CHARM THAT WAY.
AT THE SAME TIME, I WORRY ABOUT BLOCK PRINTING FADING AWAY IF I DON’T POUR EVERYTHING I HAVE INTO KEEPING IT ALIVE. I’VE SPOKEN WITH MANY PRINTERS, AND THE CRAFT IN INDIA IS TRADITIONALLY PASSED DOWN THROUGH GENERATIONS, WHICH IS SO SPECIAL. BUT YOUNGER GENERATIONS ARE LOSING INTEREST IN THE TRADE, TURNING TO TECHNOLOGY INSTEAD. I UNDERSTAND—IT’S NOT A WELL-PAID JOB, BUT I HOPE TO CHANGE THAT. ONE DAY, I WANT TO USE A HAVELI TO START A FUND FOR PRESERVING INDIAN CRAFTS, SO SKILLS LIKE BLOCK PRINTING AREN’T FORGOTTEN AND REPLACED BY FASTER, LESS ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY METHODS LIKE MASS SCREEN PRINTING.
I WANT ALL LITTLE GIRLS TO BE ABLE TO LOOK BACK AT THE BEAUTIFUL AND FIERCE WOMEN OF TODAY AND STILL BE ABLE TO WEAR THE SAME DRESSES AND CLOTHES AS WE HAVE ACCESS TO NOW…”
