A Dissertation Study on India's Craftsmanship

For my dissertation I wanted to write about something that I'm very passionate and possibly obsessed about that I wouldn't get bored of. I decided very early on, it would be about some form of Haute Couture. Couture has always interested and excited me, especially the amount of time and effort that goes into the work and the extreme attention to detail. The Fabric of India exhibition I visited, which you can read about here really inspired me to write about the handiwork and craft of embroidery in India. It's also something I've seen being done in India myself, just last year and think it would lead very well into my Final Major Project.

Chanel Haute Couture 2014 piece being embroidered by hand

I've also kept in touch with a few Indian designers that show at the prestigious Lakme Fashion Week in India that are willing to provide information on how these techniques are done traditionally.

Sabyasachi Mukerjee

I have chosen to do a research piece, not because it's an easy option. But in fact in order to do an incredibly detailed and in-depth study about how Indian embroidery techniques are used in Couture and how those techniques can be done. The main focus will be on the two techniques of Zardozi and Ari which are still widely done with hand today, despite technological dances with machine embroidery.

Zardozi Embroidery

Elsa Schiaparelli Versailles Coat (Ari Embroidery)

It is difficult to find out how those techniques are done just by looking online or in a book and my detailed study is going to explain how those techniques can be done, as well as how they are used in Haute Couture today by designers like Chanel and Dior.

Chanel Fall 2014 Haute Couture

Couture is something I have always loved because of its craft and detail and as for Indian embroidery it's something I've really wanted to know more about and so I feel this is a piece of study and work I will really enjoy researching and learning from. I will read many articles, visit exhibitions and look at historical and contemporary methods and designers.