Navy-Blue Brocade Fabric with Woven Flowers and Leaves
Dry clean only. Store folded in a soft muslin pouch away from direct sunlight to keep the sheen alive.
Description
Pure Silk Handloom Brocade<br>Weaver Kasim Family of Banaras. 24 Inches Wide
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Hand-picked pieces that sing gently with this one.
Behind this piece
Banaras brocade carries within its threads a civilisation of making. This navy-blue silk is woven on a handloom in the old quarters of Varanasi, where the Kasim family has practised the art of kimkhab and zari weaving across generations. The floral and foliate motifs here belong to a visual vocabulary refined over centuries, drawing from Mughal garden imagery rendered in silk rather than stone. Each repeat of blossom and leaf is the result of a manually set drawloom, where no two passes of the shuttle are truly identical. This is fabric as inheritance.
How to style
Cut this into a structured anarkali or a floor-length skirt and pair it with a raw silk blouse in ivory or deep gold to let the navy read fully. For a sharper silhouette, consider a brocade blazer over wide-leg trousers in cream, worn to a festive lunch or a wedding reception. A third approach: a short kurta over churidar, accessorised with polki or antique gold earrings and kolhapuri sandals in tan leather. The deep navy grounds even the most elaborate jewellery, making this fabric genuinely versatile across occasions and garment forms.
Fabric & care
Pure silk brocade rewards careful handling. Dry clean this fabric for the first wash to preserve the tension of the handloom weave and protect any zari work woven into the ground. If hand-washing becomes necessary, use cold water and a mild, pH-neutral detergent; never wring or twist the cloth. Dry flat in shade, away from direct sunlight, which fades natural silk over time. Store folded in a soft muslin cloth, not plastic, and refold along different lines every few months to prevent permanent crease marks. Properly cared for, this silk will last decades.
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