Stitching Strength: Fashion Designers Isha Jajodia and Aisha Rao on Appliqué and Sustainability

News18

01-05-2025

Last Updated:
Delicate but never decorative, appliqué in the hands of Isha Jajodia and Aisha Rao becomes a language of strength, sustainability, and soul.
In an era where surface ornamentation often leans on the extremes of minimalism or maximalism, two designers are reimagining appliqué not just as embellishment but as the soul of their couture narratives. Isha Jajodia of Roseroom and Aisha Rao, both known for their inventive and thoughtful design languages, have elevated the art of appliqué to a powerful storytelling device — one that speaks of sustainability, craftsmanship, and the nuanced complexity of femininity.
For Isha Jajodia, lace appliqué in her latest collection, Lumière et Lace, becomes a dialogue between softness and strength. 'Lace is delicate and almost whisper-light on its own, but when applied skillfully to structured designs, it gives the garment a surprising strength," explains Jajodia. Her pieces don't just wear the appliqué, they inhabit it. It becomes structural, symbolic, and emotionally resonant. 'It was about layering the softness of handworked lace over sculpted forms to create a conversation between fluidity and structure," adds Jajodia.
In contrast, Aisha Rao's bold use of appliqué began as a conscious decision to reduce fabric waste. 'What started as a sustainable choice soon evolved into our visual identity," says Rao. Rao's kaleidoscopic couture uses appliqué in large, vibrant motifs often inspired by global travels and local legacies alike. From her zero-waste beginnings to her more recent experiments blending printed textiles with her signature motifs, Rao's work remains rooted in conscious innovation.
While Jajodia invokes the elegance of heritage craftsmanship, fusing lace with translucent fabrics and hand-dyed hues, she grounds it in slow luxury. 'Every appliqué piece we make is hand-cut, hand-placed, and hand-sewn, often taking hundreds of hours," shares Jajodia. 'In many ways, time has become the ultimate luxury, and we really try to honour that with every piece." Her silhouettes marry French lace with traditional techniques like Lucknowi chikankari, offering a contemporary yet culturally anchored expression of femininity.
Rao, meanwhile, creates a jubilant collision of textures and textiles. 'While it's easy to rely on traditional techniques like aari and zardozi, we make it a point to seamlessly blend them with our signature appliqué work," she says. The goal is always balance — letting the appliqué be the star, while the embroidery plays an enriching role. Even as scaling her zero-waste appliqué became challenging, Rao pivoted. 'To stay true to our roots, we developed a new technique that merges our signature prints with embellishments that mimic the look of appliqué," she reveals.
Jajodia, too, highlights how versatility can breathe new life into the same technique. She describes a yellow sharara set from her collection where lace appliqué was used to follow the natural lines of the body, offering sensuality without overt exposure. Another standout? A draped skirt set with a corset blouse and crop jacket, where the lace served as a visual separator, defining silhouette with purpose. 'In all three pieces, lace appliqué became more than just a craft, it was a storytelling tool," she says.
Rao's work is equally rooted in narrative. Each collection draws from cultural references as far-reaching as Barcelona, Siddhpur, and Turkey. Her appliqué motifs evolve accordingly. 'Banafsh draws from the culture of Siddhpur, where our appliqué work incorporates Baroque motifs inspired by local architecture," she says. Whether celebrating Catalan mosaics or Turkish tapestries, Rao's designs are immersive stories told through color and composition.
What both designers share is a respect for legacy paired with an unapologetic push toward the new. As Jajodia beautifully summarizes, 'The goal is for our pieces to feel like a bridge between history and the present, carrying forward the beauty of old-world craftsmanship while meeting the needs of the contemporary world."
Together, Jajodia and Rao are not merely reviving appliqué; they are reimagining it — as language, as legacy, and as a luxury of thought, time, and expression.
First Published:
May 01, 2025, 21:28 IST