Jootis with Zardozi Embroidery and Ghungaroos
Gentle hand-wash separately in cold water with a mild detergent. Avoid soaking. Iron on medium heat while slightly damp.
Description
Every step carries its own ceremony when the feet are dressed this thoughtfully. Rooted in the craft traditions of Agra and Lucknow, where leather-working and embroidery have long existed in close conversation, these jootis bring together two distinct vocabularies of adornment. Zardozi, the ancient art of stitching gold and silver metallic threads into cloth and leather, traces patterns across the upper in a manner that is precise yet unhurried. The addition of ghungaroos, those small brass bells historically sewn onto classical dance costumes and festive garments, lends the footwear a faint, celebratory voice of its own. Pure leather construction ensures the sole softens and shapes itself over time, making comfort as much a part of the inheritance as the ornament. The nine available colours, ranging from restrained Beige and Blue Mist to deeply saturated Chinese Red and Mazarine Blue, allow the wearer to choose her particular shade of occasion. Wear them with a chanderi kurta set or silk gharara for a wedding festivity, or with wide-legged palazzos and a printed dupatta for a gathering where tradition and ease sit side by side.
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Behind this piece
Zardozi, the imperial embroidery of Mughal ateliers, finds its most intimate expression on these jootis. Worked in metallic thread across pure leather, the craft carries the memory of Lucknow and Agra's kotha workshops, where artisans once stitched gold into court regalia. The ghungaroos, small bells sewn at the toe, belong to a parallel tradition rooted in classical dance and ceremonial procession. Together, they produce a jooti that is not merely footwear but a considered object: two living crafts meeting on a single sole, made to order for the wearer who understands the difference.
How to style
For a daytime festivity, pair the Burnt Ochre with a raw silk kurta and straight-cut palazzo trousers. The Mazarine Blue reads beautifully against ivory chanderi at a mehendi or sangeet. For a formal evening, choose Jet Black beneath a benarasi sharara, and let the ghungaroos do the speaking rather than reaching for anklets. The Chinese Red is a natural companion to a brocade lehenga in deep wine or forest green. Across all colourways, keep jewellery restrained at the feet; the zardozi and bells together need no competition from heavy payals.
Fabric & care
Pure leather breathes and ages with use, but it demands attentive care. Wipe the surface gently after each wearing with a soft, dry cloth to lift dust before it settles into the embroidery. Never immerse in water or apply liquid cleaners; moisture weakens the leather and loosens the thread foundations of zardozi work. If the jootis are wet, stuff them lightly with tissue paper and dry at room temperature, well away from direct sunlight or heat. Store in the cloth bag provided, separately from other footwear, to protect the ghungaroos from snagging or flattening over time.
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