Meet Zardouzee by Alark Lall, Agra’s Unassuming Atelier of Zari Bags and Clutches

Somewhere in Agra, in a room lit by the glow of incandescent lights, men are assembling fabric parts into a whole. Elsewhere, artisans are bent over a wooden frame, working with a hooked needle no thicker than a hairpin. Central to the rhythmic movements of their hands are glistening threads polished with pure gold and silver. They are engaged in one of the most exacting needlework traditions in the world: zardozi. From the Persian zar (gold) and dozi (embroidery), the craft of Persian origin reached its peak under the Mughal Emperor Akbar. Zardozi once adorned garments worn by royals, tent walls, ceremonial scabbards, and elephant trappings. With the rise of industrialisation, however, the craft almost ceased to exist. But here, at Zardouzee, it is alive and being carried into the 21st century with the help of sixthgeneration custodian Alark Lall. 

The atelier’s story began in 1845, when owner Lall’s ancestors began embroidering for Mughal royalty and Nawabi households. “Over the years, [we] have been involved in a lot of work for royals and celebrities,” says Lall, adding, “largely doing coronations, such as for Queen Alexandra in 1902.” In 1911, they worked on the coronation robes for King George V. Under the guidance of Ganeshi Lall, the proprietor at the time, they made embroidered regimental badges for men in the British army and batuas or intricately woven pouches for women. 

Lall set up Zardouzee, from the House of Ganeshi Lall, during the pandemic, and to help carry the craft forward. Today, they design clutches, crossbodies, and evening bags—each studded with gemstones—made entirely by hand. “We wanted to inspire the next generation to take up this art and prevent it from dying [out],” says Lall. Within a few years of setting up, their work has been seen at the New York Fashion Week, the Emmy Awards, and the Met Gala. At the heart of these creations lies the work of the artisans, who can take up to nine years to complete one large wall tapestry, made only to special order. As Lall sums up: “This artwork is about dedication, consistency, and passion. 

Step 1: Each piece starts out as an idea that is then translated into a detailed drawing. No computers or machines are used at any stage of the design process. “It’s all drawn by hand,” shares Lall. 

Step 2: A fine needle is used to prick holes along the outline of the drawing, creating a stencil called a sojang. This is then laid over the fabric and rubbed with a mixture of oil and limestone powder, carefully transferring the design on to the surface below. Lall explains, “Once the design is traced, the artisan has a better understanding of what they’re working on.” 

Step 3: After tracing, the artisan gets to work. “We decide on the colours of the metal or the silk depending on the design we need to create.” The full outline of the pattern is then laid with metal wires and gold, rose gold, or silver thread. 

Step 4: The interior of each motif is built using cotton thread wound over and over until the surface rises. “This three-dimensional zardozi work with gemstones, metal, and silk thread in an individual piece is specific to Agra,” says Lall 

Step 5: Once the form is raised, the artisan fills it with either silk thread or spiral metal wire; each tiny piece picked individually with a needle and placed with precision. A single motif, a flower or leaf, can take anywhere from 10 to 25 days to complete, depending on its complexity and elevation. 

Step 6: Semi-precious and precious stones are fixed in custom metal frames the way a jeweller would set a piece. The zari is then skillfully threaded through the holes and stitched on to the fabric. No glue is used at any point. Each stone is secured entirely by hand-stitching, and finished with decorative metalwork around the setting.

Step 7: Once the embroidery is complete, the ‘upper’ (the exterior of the bag that is handembroidered) is taken to the workshop where it is assembled into its final form. An MDF base (MediumDensity Fibreboard) is shaped to the design. The embroidered fabric is then stretched and stitched over on both sides. Pasting and stitching are used in combination and are the final step in a process that might have begun months or even years, earlier.