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Script of style

Designer duo Meera and Muzaffar Ali find a new motif

Turning a new script in fashion, designer couple Meera and Muzaffar Ali are using Urdu calligraphy in their Khataati collection. It will be showcased at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week under their label Kotwara.

Khataati means Urdu calligraphy. In this Spring-Summer collection, the duo has used the fascinating contours of the Persian letters as motifs.

Meera says in the past designers have used figures, sacred or otherwise, so they decided to try something different with calligraphy on clothes.

Muzaffar, who has an inclination towards Urdu poetry, however, clarifies, "We have not written anything that is sacred because it might hurt people's sentiments. We have only used meaningless sentences in Urdu."

Spiritual

Admittedly spiritual person by nature, Muzaffar considers designing as a spiritual act. "I enjoy this whole process. To me it's divine in nature. Art cannot be art if it cannot be seen through a spiritual aspect," he adds. The outfits are Indo-Western in style and the price averages around Rs.10,000.

Known for reviving and upgrading the traditional craft around Lucknow, the duo say that the effort has been to blend the visual and spiritual beauty by using their strengths - zardozi and chikan.

Completing the Lucknow look is the intelligent use of mirror work.

As for Muzaffar's other interest - cinema, he refuses to comment on the J.P. Dutta's version of Umrao Jaan, which is expected to be released this Diwali.

He, however, shares that he is contemplating "a big, big movie."

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