For centuries, Kashmir's exquisite, intricately woven pashmina shawls have been expensive party wear or tucked away on the shelves of the elite as a part of rare collections. Now, Srinagar-born fashion designer Zubair Kirmani is adorning walls with eye-catching, ultra-fine pashmina shawls. Mr. Kirmani, who has already earned a name for himself by displaying Kashmir-influenced couture at premier fashion shows like Wills Lifestyle India and Lakme Fashion Week, is creating pashmina wall hangings with different embossing techniques, including meticulous threadwork and rare calligraphic art by the finest craftspeople in Srinagar.
"The idea was to bring the pashmina out of the closet. The expensive Kashmiri shawls were always limited to bright parties or the dark corners of closets. My attempt is to add to the utility of the fine fabric, which sees a chain of processes in its making. The way people buy costly paintings for walls, I intend to turn the pashmina into a new feature to decorate walls with a classy look," Mr. Kirmani told The Hindu.
Back in Kashmir after years spent in the world of fashion, Mr. Kirmani's Srinagar studio has wall-hangings of different sizes mounted on carved walnut frames. The designer owns the label Bounipun, the local name for Chinar leaves.
