Independence Day Special: From Ajrakh to Zardozi - India’s style gifts to the world

Ajrakh: Practised by the local communities in Kutch in Gujarat and Sindh in Pakistan, the double-sided block printed textile continues to make its presence felt as it’s still made with natural dyes.

Bandhini: A tie-dye textile decorated by plucking the cloth with the fingernails into many tiny bindings that form a figurative design. Labels like 11.11/  eleven eleven and Rahul Mishra have reinvented it giving it a modern twist.

Chintz: Originally a woodblock printed, painted or stained calico produced in India from 1600 to 1800. Over the years, brands like Nikasha, Anamika Khanna and Payal Singhal have adopted the quintessential chintz prints as their brand soul.

Demure: Modest fashion may be a major trend now internationally, but it was designer Sabyasachi, who made the vision of a demure and coy bride popular in his beautifully-shot bridal campaigns. Indian designers have time and again proved that covered-up can be as sexy.

Ek Taar: As the name ‘Ek  taar ’ translates to ‘one wire’, it is the Hindi name for the embroidery and was traditionally done using a single strand of thin metal.

Flamboyance: Indian Maharajas and nobility and their lavish way of living have inspired several generations of designers. Chanel Metiers d’Art Pre-Fall collection show, entitled ‘Paris-Bombay’ merits a mention.

Ghagra: The voluminous and kalidaar lehenga skirt has been India’s ornate offering to the world seen at destination weddings and red carpet balls. One’s got to credit style mavens like Manish Malhotra for reimagining it season after season.

Henna: It’s hard to picture a Hindu wedding minus this bridal essential. Pop icons like Madonna and Coachella regulars have put it on the global firmament.

Ikat: It is the dyeing technique used to pattern textiles that employs resist dyeing on the yarns prior to pigmenting and weaving the fabric. Made in Patan, Gujarat, the double ikat is the most complicated. Called Patola, it is made using fine silk yarns and many colours.

Jamdani: This weaving tradition is of Bengali origin. It is one of the most labour-intensive forms of handloom weaving. In the first half of the 19th century, James Taylor described the figured or flowered jamdani.

Kurti: The classic kurti hasn’t really changed although there have been many design spins to it over the years. Monisha Jaising reinvented it in chiffon, embellishing it with diamante and Swarovski. Needless to say that the kurti has been a cool item of clothing to wear in the mid-2000s.

Lucknowi work: Chikan is a traditional embroidery style from Lucknow. Believed to have been introduced by Nur Jehan, the wife of Mughal emperor Jahangir, it is one of the city’s best-known textile decoration styles

Meenakari: The art of Meenakari involves colouring and ornamenting the surface of metals with the use of statement hues in a beautiful design. It is derived from the word Meena, which is the feminine form of Minoo in Persian, referring to Heaven.

Nath: Sonam Kapoor brought it back into the spotlight as she wore it at Cannes a few years ago. “The nath is such an expression of sexuality and Indian version of being sexy. Also, it’s so close to the mouth and that’s why I wanted to be large. I wanted to bring the attention to her mouth and nothing else,” says stylist Rhea Kapoor. 

Opulence: Couturiers like Falguni and Shane Peacock have celebrated maximalism in their creations for years now. India has never shied away from opulence — be it a play of sequins or flutter of feathers.

Paisley: The Indian paisley has an interesting origin. In Tamil Nadu, the manga maalai or the mango necklace with matching earrings is a traditional feature of Bharatnatyam dance, thus making it a prominent design in Kanchipuram saris.

Quirk: Quirk prints, motifs and imagery never looked so cool thanks to Indian designers like Masaba, Manish Arora and Ashish (UK). Taking something mundane and translating that into irresistible fashion never looked so cool.

Rani Pink: Vogue editor Diana Vreeland’s words — “Pink is the navy blue of India” have been etched into our minds. Of late, this hue has been dominating the runways of Moschino and Alexander Wang.

Shine: Sparkly clothes, a carnival of sequins and sheen of jewel tones — the heavy-duty shimmer has been an integral part of our vocabulary — something which global fashion has warmed up to.

Temple border: It’s hard to picture a film awards ceremony without Rekha’s high-octane presence in a temple border Kanjeevaram sari.

Unisex: Internationally, unisex clothing may be becoming en vogue right now, but in India, gender-fluid garments have always existed. The classic dhoti being a case in point.

Va Va Voom: The land of Kamasutra has been the timeless reference for sensuous dressing — be it the diaphanous draped sari or the low-cut choli flashing a generous amount of décolletage.

Weave: Designers like Pero and Eka by Rina Singh have put indigenous textiles on the global map. Nothing beats the allure of a handwoven garment.

X factor: What makes India such a recurring presence on international designers’ collective mood-board is that indescribable ‘x’ factor — that idea of subtle luxury, which can be felt but never fully defined

Yard: Sari is the purest form of a couture dress. Not long ago, designer Jean Paul Gaultier showcased a line of saris for Hermes and American red carpet label Marchesa has often borrowed heavily from its draping techniques.

Zardozi: Gold embroidery has been in existence in India since ancient time. Zardozi embroidery work involves making elaborate designs, using gold and silver threads along with studded pearls and precious stones.