Phulkari is the folk embroidery of Punjab. In literal mean, phulkari means “floral work” but the designs not only include flowers but also motifs and other geometric shapes. Phulkari work is done with untwisted floss silk yarn called pat and typically produced with the use of darn style called stitching on the opposite side of the material.
A lot of motifs and designs used in phulkari are inspired by the rural surroundings. The colours which are formally used for phulkari are yellow, green, orange, pink and blue. This craft serves as a depiction to the complex rural culture of Punjab and it’s rich heritage.
Phulkari is now a top fashion trend in most of the Asian countries. Phulkari dupattas are paired up with plain co-ord sets or phulkari shalwars are worn with plain solid shirts for work and casual meet ups. Short coatis are also made of phulkari and are worn over kurtas. Phulkari fashion trends are also used in desi cultured wedding ceremonies such as mayun, mehndi and dholki’s. as much as it suits the bride it can be carried well by team bride as well.
Some of our personal favourite phulkari looks include pairing up a colourful phulkari dupatta with a solid white or coloured co-ord shalwar kurta set. Phulkari kurtas can also be worn over jeans or can be paired up with plain shalwars. If carried well, phulkari can be worn to universities, offices, events and casual hangouts with friends. Its pretty and graceful at the same time.
FATIMAH KHAN
