Patine’s Gulbahar finds new life in India’s craft traditions
Inspired by gardens in full bloom and the fleeting beauty of flowers, homegrown label Patine’s latest edit, Gulbahar, explores preserving transient beauty through enduring craft.
The collection brings together Parsi gara embroidery, chikankari, applique, kantha, sequins and other Indian handcraft traditions across a contemporary festive wardrobe. At the centre of the collection is Parsi gara embroidery, with its intricate threadwork and distinctive floral vocabulary. Gara is layered with chikankari, applique, kantha, sequins and other Indian handcraft traditions, reflecting the label’s signature approach of bringing different techniques together in a language of its own.
Co-founder and designer, Geeti Mehra, takes us through the same.
How does the collection use botanical storytelling to bridge historical Indian textile art with modern luxury expectations?
We draw from a remarkable lexicon of imagery that has travelled across cultures and centuries — flora and fauna from Chinese and Persian artistic traditions, Mughal gardens and architecture, Rajasthani miniature paintings and the decorative vocabulary of the subcontinent. For Gulbahar, these references are absorbed and reimagined rather than treated as archival quotations.
How were these varying textures of Parsi Gara embroidery, chikankari, kantha, applique and sequins melded within single looks without overwhelming the silhouette?
The richness is always considered. We don’t layer techniques simply for ornamentation; the craft has an intentional hierarchy. One technique might take the lead, while another appears almost as an inflexion, introducing texture, luminosity or an unexpected dimension. The different traditions converse without competing.
In what ways does the collection reimagine traditional motifs, such as intricate jaals and floral blooms?
Sometimes a motif remains beautifully classical; at others, a single element is magnified, its scale and proportion transformed until it becomes the hero of the garment. The same playfulness extends to colour: Gara might appear in its classic white-on-colour expression or be reimagined in vivid, almost technicolour thread. The integrity of the craft remains constant; within that framework we allow ourselves freedom.
How do you balance classic heirloom craftsmanship with lightweight, effortless luxury?
For us, heirloom and ease are not opposing ideas. The handwork may be extraordinarily intricate and take weeks or even months to realise, but that doesn’t mean the clothes need to feel precious when worn. A beautifully embroidered jacket can be worn with trousers; a skirt can sit as naturally with a silk blouse as it does within a traditional ensemble; a sari can be interpreted entirely differently by each woman who wears it.