Afshan Durrani : The force behind the resurgence of a lost art

By Sangeeta Kumar

Embroidery has long been considered an art form in the West and has recently seen a resurgence brought about by a new generation of edgy, high-end artists like Angelo Filomeno and Ghada Amer. Although some of the greatest of embroideries in the museums of London and New York were created by Indian artisans, India’s place as the epicenter of embroidery has eroded over time due our neglect of this great traditional craft, and our pandering to a crass and commercial design sensibility. Fortunately, one New York designer is restoring our status as a country that still creates world class art, and giving back a sense of dignity to an impoverished community of artisans in Lucknow, the ground zero of “ari” embroidery (hand embroidery with a hooked needle).

EGO first introduced Afshan Durrani, the woman behind Lost City Products, less than 2 years ago. The company has come a long way since. Its products are now available in leading U.S. cities and Lost City recently launched a sumptuous silk line anchored by a provocative “New Adventures in Silk” image campaign that challenges the stuffy world of interior design to sit up and take notice. Their recently launched website (http://www.lostcityproducts.com ) subverts the notions of how a designer presents their work online, featuring abstract video and reflecting the global and eclectic influences that constitute the Lost City brand.

Afshan and her company have since been written up by the New York Times, and other leading media outlets and bloggers in the USA have been enraptured by the fabrics. A recent feature on the new silk line by the leading international tastemaker Daily Candy resulted in the Lost City website receiving over a 100,000 hits and frantic phone calls from interior designers and embroidery junkies around the world. Ironically, the Indian media has been quiet, (as it so often is), in supporting an artist struggling to save an Indian tradition.

We were eager to follow up with a closer look at the company, it's growth and what it means to the artisans embedded in the "gallees" (by lanes) of Lucknow. EGO is also proud to feature images from the new Lost City silk collection.

EGO: Given your dossier of clients could one now say that Lost City Products’ ethos of meshing traditional ari work with an un-traditional and visionary design sensibility has been embraced by high-end designers like Robert Couturier (to name a few)? Do these designers come to you or do you have the marketing machinery in place to service them?

Afshan: With the launch of the website and the recent barrage of articles there’s been an increased interest. Most people call the showrooms where the Lost City line is represented. We also work directly with clients and interior designers on special commissions for residential and hospitality projects. Slowly but surely, Lost City is finding a place in the world of design and art.

EGO: The work is stunning. Seeing the colors and the intricacy one feels like they have one foot in the Lucknow of Umrao Jaan with the other on Broadway – how do you mesh these influences and manage the process?

Afshan: We have a modern, global interpretation of traditional designs. Ari work is very labor intensive and we have to maintain a fine balance in evolving the craft while retaining the handmade aesthetic and high quality. The idea is to be progressive and advance the technique without compromising its essence. It’s a complicated and involved process but miraculously, it works. When an order is received, we work collaboratively with our India office- through telephone and email with our manager and a team of karigars (artisans) to set up the basic pattern, materials and process. Depending on the yardage required, five to fifty karigars work on one project. It can take anywhere from two to sixteen weeks to complete one order. Often if required, we experiment with fabric or thread- we recently shipped an order on suede for a sofa to Paris. Leather and suede have never been used for this kind of embroidery before as far as I know.

EGO: I understand that part of the ethos of Lost City Products is the cause of the artisans. Tell us a bit about that.

Afshan: It’s very tough for one person to rehabilitate an industry, help the artisans, and also try to be commercially viable. And retain my sanity. We are making progress though. Several families are now thriving because they have our support. I am looking for a ‘haveli’ (a large mansion) to serve as the main workshop. My goal is to restore it and make it a self-contained unit. We have a great start because we currently work out of the first floor of a new construction. We have fans and coolers. It’s a substantial improvement in working conditions for the ‘karigars’- they are used to working with no light and are happy to be have a clean neat environment with some modern trappings. We have also started a savings fund for the ‘karigars’ where they have the option to let the money grow or withdraw it on special occasions like ‘Eid’. Our goals are modest at the start but the idea is to let everyone benefit from the success of Lost City.

EGO: Muzaffar Ali and his wife are also revivalists. They have a similar philosophy. Have you ever crossed paths?

Afshan: Muzaffar Ali is from Kothwara. He and his wife Meera are a design team. They are pioneers in rehabilitating traditional embroidery workshops in Lucknow. Our design aesthetic and application of traditional techniques is very different, but I admire what they do. I’ve met them at social gatherings and I believe we share a similar philosophy of advancing the dying arts and crafts of Lucknow and India in general, and exposing them to the world.

EGO: Your product is definitely high end – do you plan on keeping the brand exclusive or is the plan to go retail with say an ABC?

Afshan: I am working on two new product lines which will also be design intensive and unique but perhaps more accessible to the retail market. The plan is to make the products available within the next six months.

EGO: Both (your husband) Nusrat and you have creativity enmeshed in your respective works. That must make for an interesting partnership. Is Nusrat involved in the operation of Lost City as well?

Afshan: Nusrat is very busy with his own career and side projects (shooting music videos and working on his book) but is always willing to shoot Lost City photos and videos as a favor, which is great because he more than anyone else understands the essence of Lost City. I like to discuss ideas / plans with him but in the end I do what I instinctively feel I should. It is an immense help to have this ‘quid pro quo’. He recently shot our new image campaign in Istanbul which has had a phenomenal response. It is an ongoing project involving many cities that inspire us.

Images Courtesy: Nusrat Durrani