A fashion photographer follows the world's most sought-after embroidery from its creation in Mumbai's bustling workrooms to its debut embellishing the season's hottest designs.
Globalization in the fashion world has taken many forms. An increasing number of the world’s fashion dynasties outsource their finishing work, and many of them are turning to the embroidery artisans of Mumbai. The embroidery of India traces its history to the region’s Mogul emperors of the twelfth century. These days much of the handiwork is done in clean, well-lit studios in Mumbai, usually by men from villages outside the large city. Aurore Belkin’s thoughtful photographs of these workers depict their daily labors and the careful work that has gone into each piece. A large section of close-up photographs examines the intricate details of the embroidery. The book rounds off with a section on how the handiwork is incorporated into the latest fashion designs. Through this book readers are introduced to an art form that is centuries old, but adapting itself to twenty-first century realities.