Printed Kaftan with Dori on the Waist and Floral Motifs
Gentle hand-wash separately in cold water with a mild detergent. Avoid soaking. Iron on medium heat while slightly damp.
Description
Some days call for ease, and some call for colour; this kaftan answers both at once. Rendered in fluid rayon, the silhouette follows the unhurried tradition of loose, draped forms that have long been favoured across the Indian subcontinent for their generosity of movement and their quiet grace in heat. A gathered dori at the waist offers the gentlest suggestion of shape without interrupting the fall of the fabric, while floral motifs, printed across the surface, recall the block-print vocabularies of Rajasthan and the floral repeat traditions of the Deccan. The three colourways, Cyan Blue, Lollipop Red, and Raspberry Sorbet, each carry a distinct mood: one contemplative, one festive, one softly celebratory. As a made-to-order piece, it is cut with intention rather than haste, joining the small but meaningful shift toward considered production. The free size makes it as comfortable on a quiet Sunday morning as it is at a casual family gathering. Wear it over slim cigarette trousers for a polished yet relaxed look, or let it stand entirely on its own paired with kolhapuri flats and a single silver bangle.
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Behind this piece
The kaftan enters Indian fashion not as a foreign borrower but as a returning traveller, carrying centuries of cross-cultural exchange between the Malabar coast, Persian courts, and the Swahili trade routes. Floral motifs printed on fluid rayon echo the naqqashi tradition of surface decoration, where blooms were never purely ornamental but carried symbolic weight. The dori at the waist borrows from the angrakha's logic of adjustable form. Made to order in three carefully considered colourways, this piece is designed for a body in motion, unhurried and at ease in its own elegance.
How to style
In Cyan Blue, wear this kaftan over straight ivory palazzos and finish with oxidised silver jhumkas from Rajasthan's Johri Bazaar. For Lollipop Red, layer a fine cotton slip beneath, cinch the dori firmly, and step into kolhapuri chappals for an afternoon lunch that reads effortlessly pulled-together. Raspberry Sorbet rewards evening wear: pair with a slim churidar in dusty rose, add polki earrings, and carry a potli in raw silk. All three colourways work well at beach weddings, rooftop festivities, and cultural evenings where dressing thoughtfully is itself a form of participation.
Fabric & care
Rayon is spun from cellulose and breathes generously, but it rewards gentle handling. Hand wash in cold water with a mild, pH-neutral detergent, keeping agitation minimal to preserve the printed surface. Do not wring or twist. Roll the kaftan in a clean cotton towel to draw out moisture, then hang-dry in shade away from direct sunlight, which fades printed colourways over time. Iron on a low setting while slightly damp, using a pressing cloth over the motifs. Store folded loosely in a cotton muslin bag rather than a sealed plastic cover, allowing the fibre to breathe between wearings.
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