​​AALA.com collaborates with local artisans for Mukaish work on fabrics

​​Mukaish work is a form of metal embroidery done with thin, delicate strands of metal—to draw tiny dots to embellish chikankari garments or form complete motifs on a body of the lightweight fabric. The art was initially started under the patronage of the Nawabs and Mughals of India to make their chikankari outfits more elegant and majestic for evening wear. Originally, the purpose was to create small dots on chikankari garments to make great highlights and add a little sparkle to them. Nowadays, all kinds of geometric patterns and floral designs are being embroidered to give the fabric a modern spin.

​​The art and science of Mukaish work originated in and around the Awadh region near Lucknow and spread to the whole of India. However, it wasn't until recently that Mukaish fabrics were introduced in other countries. AALA.com has a substantial role in promoting and popularizing Mukaish work fabrics in India and foreign countries.

​​AALA Fabrics has been around since as long as 1957 and has gone through many changes, including transforming a brick-and-mortar shop into an online store. But in the process, AALA.com has never forgotten its established values and continues to remain firmly attached to them. Having a humble beginning, the brand continues to support and promote indigenous fabric artisans just for the sake of it—somehow a work of philanthropic significance that often goes unrecognized.

​​The real purpose behind this is to support handmade work and, in turn, creativity. There was a time before "automation of everything" when handmade things were praised for their originality and uniqueness. Indigenous artists and laborers have suffered the most from the industrialization, production, and reproduction of wearables and other everyday life articles. AALA Fabrics realized this from the beginning and started incorporating as much indigenous incorporation into the business as permitted by its limited means and resources.

​​As AALA.com Fabrics expanded its reach, it began to hire more and more regional skilled workers wherever the possibility was granted. For example, the brand is currently helping and empowering more than 50 artisans in Mumbai by employing them for Mukaish work on fabrics. The work is done mostly by women, sometimes the sole source of income for their families. These artisans work from their homes. Since aala.com accepts custom orders from buyers, the design is often provided to the workers from the brand. Once the Mukaish embroidery work is done, it's then sent back to the brand for finishing, polishing, and adding some final touches to it.

​​Mukaish work needs serious attention to detail and great customization and personalization of fabrics. For this reason, the brand pays great attention to individual customer needs and carefully listens to their feedback. In most cases, the design is provided by the customer and then elaborated by the brand and its local Mukaish work artisans. They both take great pain to achieve comfortable wear so that the embroidery doesn't hurt or pinch the wearer's skin.

​​Mukaish work fabrics designed by AALA.com and designers from all over the country are tailored to contemporary fashion while keeping them as authentic and aboriginal as possible. "It's like a double-edged sword or a tool that's pointed on both ends," says Zeeshan Zafiri, the owner and CEO of AALA, referring to how hard it is to find the right balance between modern fashion and historical, cultural, and ethnic integrity of the art. He says they're always open to experimenting with different motifs, like modern, geometric ones and those traditional ones of flora & fauna, to give their wearables a modern spin.

​​AALA’s Mukaish work fabrics range from soft georgettes and chiffons to sturdy raw silks. There's hardly any restriction on the type of fabric the customer chooses. As soon as the final touches have been added, the outfits are sent back to the customers via doorstep delivery. AALA.com strength lies in coupling digital means with the creativity and intricacy of the centuries-old traditions and arts of the past, not to mention the complex and multilateral legacy supply chain of the brand itself.