Gems of Ashdeen: A photo exhibition in Colaba narrates the tale of women who don Parsi Gara aesthetics

On a matte georgette fall, vines branch out gracefully while roses blush in shades of pink. Like a narrative in motion, women don Parsi Gara sarees to pose for the upcoming photo exhibition - ‘Threads of Ashdeen.' To mark his ten-year milestone in the fashion sector, Ashdeen Lilaowala partnered with the photographer Rema Chaudhary, to capture the women who have been instrumental in his design odyssey.

A Parsi Gara revivalist, Ashdeen identifies himself as a keeper of stories more than a designer. "To celebrate the important milestone of completing ten years I wanted to do it in our own distinct style. I wanted it to be a celebration of the intricate web of relationships that have defined my work, mirroring the intricate Parsi Gara embroidery tradition which is at the heart of this brand," shares Ashdeen.

The intimate portraits have been shot in the subjects' private spaces as a window to Parsi heritage. While they may not be an internet sensation, these women clad in Parsi Garas, represent the centuries-old embroidery craft that combines the essence of Oriental and Persian design elements.

Portraits of Women
Regaling us over insights about the photo series, the avant-garde designer opens up about the woman who shaped his design temper. Aditi Ranjan, the textile designer and educator has had a profound impact on Ashdeen's aesthetics and approach to design. His creative affiliation with Ranjan began at the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad in 2003.

Ashdeen Lilaowala, Mumbai-based Parsi Gara revivalist

"Even today she continues to be the voice in my head. In the midst of a creative dilemma, I pause to ask, ‘What would Aditi do?' Ashdeen finds himself imitating her words while giving feedback to his team. Consequently, each portrait becomes a vivid snapshot of women's private reflection and their long-standing bond with him.

While curating the list of women to be featured in the portraits, Ashdeen was amazed at how each of them emerged to be super-achievers in their own space. Take physicist Dr Niloufer Shroff, for instance, who worked with the cosmic rays and space group at Imperial College, London and in the sensor development division at ISRO Ahmedabad, or Malini Banerji who defined the cutting edge of fashion at Elle India for several years.

The list of featured women includes Roshan Cama, homemaker; Mackie Majra, philanthropist and social worker; Mala Sinha, textile designer and founder of Bodhi; Cherazad Pestonji and Maniza Patny of Anahita, a multi-designer store; Rukshana Shroff, author and teacher; Delna Mistry, DLC founder; Malini Banerjee, fashion editor and more.

In diverse ways, these women have left their mark on Ashdeen's design character. "I find their great taste, generous hearts and the conviction to go against the grain endlessly inspiring. It's an honour to enshrine these powerhouses who have quietly helped me and my practice grow over the years," recounts Ashdeen.

The life-like Parsi Gara aesthetic
Picture intricate vines and trellises softly climbing and intertwining - creating a living garden within the fabric. The vines seem to reach out, their leaves swaying in the breeze, and you can almost hear the soft rustle of leaves. That sums up the essence of the traditional Parsi Gara aesthetics. Flora and fauna motifs emerge as prominent features on Garas.

Among these motifs, favourite flowers bloom. Peonies unfurl their delicate petals, while roses blossom in shades of red and pink. Chrysanthemums burst forth with their intricate layers as lotuses rise gracefully from the water's surface.

Now, the design takes a turn towards the East, where the influence of bamboo motifs becomes evident. Envision bamboo shoots growing tall and slender, their joints carefully bending as if they were gently swaying in the wind. These motifs add an exotic touch to the Gara design, capturing the essence of distant lands.

And then, a delicate fluttering catches your eye. It's a butterfly, or perhaps a swarm of them, painted onto the fabric with such precision that they appear ready to take flight at any moment. These butterflies are more than just decorative; they carry symbolism. In Parsi culture, they represent auspiciousness, prosperity and longevity. As you gaze, they flutter and soar, bringing a sense of hope and blessings to the design.

Tracing the roots of Parsi Gara
Traditional Parsi Gara motifs also include the popular Kanda Papeta or onion and potato motifs, the Marga Marghi or the rooster and the hen motifs, and the Cheena Cheeni which include motifs from Chinese art and textiles such as pagodas, dragons, waterfalls, clouds, men and women. A mix of real and fantastical creatures including birds of paradise, cranes, phoenixes, peacocks, fish and dragons are also found adorning Parsi Garas.

Much like the Parsi community itself, the Parsi Gara embroidery tradition is an amalgamation of various textile traditions including Chinese, Persian, European and Indian. It was the community's trade and travels that led to the origin and evolution of this storied craft, informs Ashdeen. By the early 19th century, Parsi traders had begun traveling to the Far East, trading in China and Hong Kong.

When they returned on their ships, they brought back beautiful Chinese artifacts including ceramics, antiques and richly embroidered textiles. Gradually Parsi women began making trips to China and started interacting with the textile language. When they migrated to India, they lessoned Indian craftsmen on embroidery techniques, colours and motifs to suit the subcontinent's fashion needs and sensibilities.

Glimpse into Ashdeen's fashion journey
"Our endeavour has been to keep the core essence of the Parsi Gara embroidery tradition alive while innovating in applications, through which we have been able to engage with younger generations of Parsis and non-Parsi wearers," shares Ashdeen.

Specifically, this translates as stylised application of motifs, a colour palette fine-tuned to suit modern tastes. He incorporates the use of lighter, more wearable fabric adapted to suit contemporary tastes. In addition, he has expanded the embroidery applications placing them on lehengas, blouses, jackets, scarves and other accessories.

After graduating, he travelled across India, China and Iran with the UNESCO Parzor Foundation documenting the Gara. He got a chance to interact with people's personal collections in these geographies. The exercise helped him understand the core essence of the Gara and as much as he innovates with the craft, he doesn't waver from its core essence.

"I enjoy the challenge of pushing the Parsi Gara tradition in new directions while making sure we stick to the basic framework. This has taken years of research into how the Gara has evolved over the years with the myriad geographical and cultural influences it has imbibed. I find it thrilling to be part of the next frontier of the Gara incorporating new nuances every season, telling new stories and sparking new conversations."

However, like any other artistic journey, his was also endowed with challenges. "Our craftspeople are at the heart of everything we do. I wouldn't call it a technical obstacle but our biggest challenge when we started the intiative was to be able to set up a commercially viable enterprise. This would help us eventually to sustain the craft, remunerate our artisans and help them grow."

Training the artisans in technical and aesthetic skills to help them achieve a mastery of the handmade craft is at the centre of Ashdeen's design projects. Another challenge that he has often faced is to open people's minds and show them the possibilities of everything that the Gara could be. "Even to this day, I have the odd customer who says I always thought Gara was a border sari. It's so much more than that."