Black-Onyx Wool Sleeveless Jacket with Chain Stitch Embroidery
Dry clean recommended. Store with natural cedar or neem leaves. Avoid direct sunlight and moisture.
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Behind this piece
Chain stitch embroidery, known as *crewel* in the Kashmir Valley, has threaded through Kashmiri craft culture for centuries. Worked by hand using a fine hook called an *aari*, the technique builds looping lines of silk or wool thread into dense, sculptural surface. On this sleeveless jacket, that same tradition meets a graphic restraint: black wool ground, geometric repeat, the stitch doing all the speaking. The craft is concentrated in villages around Srinagar, where artisans learn the aari's rhythm from boyhood. Each motif is a decision made by hand, one loop at a time.
How to style
Wear this jacket over a crisp ivory cotton kurta and straight-cut churidar for a cultural gathering or vernissage: add silver Kashmiri jhumkas and kolhapuri sandals to ground the look. For evening, layer it over a silk turtleneck in deep ink blue, finish with block-printed palazzo trousers and oxidised silver cuffs. As a contemporary separates option, pair it with tailored wide-leg trousers in charcoal wool and pointed leather mules, keeping accessories minimal. A structured potli in raw silk completes each reading without competing with the embroidery's texture.
Fabric & care
Wool breathes and absorbs, but it rewards patience over haste. Dry-clean this jacket to protect both the fibre and the aari-stitched surface, which can distort under agitation. If spot-cleaning at home, use cold water and a mild, pH-neutral soap applied gently with a soft cloth. Never wring or twist. Lay flat to dry, away from direct sunlight, which fades dark wool over time. Store folded, not hung, to prevent shoulder distortion; place a cedar block nearby to discourage moth damage. Rested and stored well, quality wool holds its structure for decades.
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