In the age of fast fashion, how is hand embroidery?

A significant part of Farhana Mostafa's role as one of Aarong's pioneering producers involved creating skilled communities of women who specialise in handwork on raw fabrics. Those fabrics later on got transformed into beautiful Aarong outfits.

At Aarong, they source the fabrics and their in-house designers create the motifs. These motifs are then provided to artisans who apply colours and add texture with their exquisite hand stitches.

"Back in the days, we did 'all over hand embroidery' on the outfits, be it a shari, shalwar kameez or panjabi," said Farhana. Later, the management collected those fabrics from the artisans and carried out further processing in their manufacturing unit. 

"Back in the nineties, an outfit, fully adorned with hand stitches was a statement piece, and something treasured by women. However, our tastes have certainly changed with time," she added.

Nowadays, hand embroidery is still present in the fashion scene, but it has gone through significant transformation, both in terms of technique and application. 

"Instead of creating whole, embroidered pieces, fusion work (hand embroidery with block prints, screen print etc) is the more prevalent trend. In order to popularise hand embroidery among mass consumers, this is the best way to fo," said Kanak Aditya, the owner of Deshal.

"Each dress serves as a canvas and a work of art. Designers use a combination of block, print, and stitches such as kantha and other patterns, depending on the specific requirements of the dress," he further added.  

The timeless charm 

Hand embroidery is an integral part of our tradition and culture. Our artisans for centuries have used a myriad of techniques such as mirror work, cross stitch, bubble stitch, dal chain stitch, and bhorat (filled-up) stitch as part of their embroidery process. 

Each stitch is meticulously sewn, ensuring that the end product is one-of-a-kind. An exquisite hand embroidered design can transform a mere piece of fabric into an artwork. 

With the advancement of the internet, a wide range of foreign techniques have also been introduced into the craftsmanship. Photo: Aarong

A machine can work faster and create more products, but it cannot replicate the unique design and texture of hand embroidery. And the more skilled the artisan, the more intricate the stitches. 

In most cases, hand embroideries preserve traditional knitting techniques and cultural traditions. They are also a medium of storytelling, such as our nakhsi kantha. Hand embroidered clothes have always been dear to us, especially when they were made lovingly by a family member.  
 
Hand embroidery, by its own nature, is also a statement against fast fashion.

"Hand embroidery or even hand loomed fabrics are not designed for fast fashion. It will continue to thrive because of this very characteristic and will keep influencing the fashion scene," opined Farhana. 

The evolution of hand embroidery

At present, local fashion houses mostly incorporate hand work like zardosi, karchupi or kantha stitch in their designs. Many of the traditional hand embroidery designs are still popular. But what are the current trends in the designs? 

According to Biplob Saha, the owner of Bishworang, "Currently, people have developed a preference for cross stitch, Gujarati stitch, and bhorat stitch. At times, we implement a blend of methods to attain a subtle and pleasing appearance. For instance, certain dresses require a combination of machine stitching and hand embroidery, with only a few parts being done by machine and the rest featuring an intricate karchupi technique."

Saha said that not every artisan is skilled in the stitches that he mentioned. However, kantha stitching is relatively easier and there are many artisans employed in that field. 

Farhana also mentioned that with the advancement of the internet, a wide range of foreign techniques have also been introduced into the craftsmanship. 

"During our time, hand embroidery was a region-based thing. Particular stitches were practised in different districts. We called them Jessore stitch, Rajshahi stitch etc. Now, it has become diversified and artisans know most of the techniques. I even see foreign techniques like French knot stitch and many other unknown stitches in the outfits. YouTube has certainly influenced fashion greatly," she added.

The price of human endeavour

Hand embroidery has undergone significant changes since the Covid-19 pandemic. Due to the increase in the cost of raw materials, many fashion houses were compelled to raise their prices. 

"Hand embroidery depends on the budget. The decision to stitch by hand or use a machine is always influenced by financial considerations," said Biplob Saha. "For clothes with higher budgets, zardosi or karchupi work is used. However, a combination of hand stitch and machine embroidery is also used in many cases, as not everyone has the financial means to buy an exclusively hand embroidered dress."

Saha feels, due to the prevailing inflation, the art of hand embroidery is almost fading and many boutiques are looking for machine work.

"Due to the delicate nature of hand embroidery, a significant amount of time and fabric is wasted behind it. Whereas the payment received by the artisan in comparison to that, is quite low," he said. The price of hand-embroidered clothes has always depended on the intricacy of designs, stitches, or the type of material, but Saha believes that it has increased sharply in recent times due to various factors.  

Therefore, when you go to the market, you will only come across a limited number of boutiques or shops that engage in manual stitching. The remaining ones utilise machines, to fulfil growing demand and decrease the workload that detailed hand embroidery entails.