I had to do a bit of research to understand who Kotwara were, there was so much of misinformation out there. Some said Kotwara is the designer…well its not. From what I read, and I am impressed. Muzaffar Ali happens to be the present Raja of Kotwara. He belongs to the Muslim Rajput royal house of Kotwara in India, and is the designer behind the collection Kotwara.

Kotwara was founded with the idea to revive the traditional craft of Awadh (Uttar Pradesh, India) in 1990.

The evolution of Meera and Muzaffar Ali’s couture label House of Kotwara is also the story of the region of Awadh (an area in the centre of modern-day Uttar Pradesh) and the preservation of its people and its designs, while spanning a continuity of traditions in craft techniques from other regions with royal legacies, such as Kashmir, Hyderabad, Kerala and Bengal. – Vogue

Kotwara, an international couture brand, crafted by the duo Muzaffar Ali & Meera Ali in 1990 to revive the traditional craft of the region of Awadh, India. Over the last two decades, Kotwara has been a symbol of style and elegance reinventing embroidery, weaving and creating silhouettes which have timeless quality. Zardozi and Chikankari has been the forte of Kotwara with some of the finest craftspeople working for generations blending cultures and styles from different parts of the country.​ – Indianroots.

Its not extraordinary, but the simplicity of the outfits is what attracted me to the creations. Its looks so pure, subtle in its beauty. I loved the soft color schemes in the outfits and I wish these were affordable, but well, they are NOT !

I love the story behind the outfits, its all about showcasing the talent of these artisans who if not for people like Meera & Muzaffar Ali, we just wouldn’t know about. I remember the last time a similar story cropped up was during the Manish Malhotra show (Mijwan) way back in 2014.

Zardosi and chikankari embroideries have been the forte of Kotwara with some of the finest craftsmen working for generations at Anhalwara Palace, Kotwara in Lakhimpur Kheri and Kotwara House, Qasierbagh Palace Complex in Lucknow. – Daily Post

Kotwara is 160 kms. from Lucknow, bordering Nepal from Dudhwa National Park, set amidst an undulating landscape of ancient mounds overlooking an oxbow lake. A road through a 500 acre forest leads to the Anhalwara Palace which is one among  many of the designer Raja’s homes.

To set the mood of the collection, the very graceful Shivani Varma danced elegantly on the ramp. Opening the show with the white section of chikan work of a very high order, there were kurtas, shararas, anarkalis, angarkhas and dupattas that were at times turned into capes with ruffles. 

The show started on a pastel shade card of white, pale blue, pink, peach and green, the colours then moved to stronger hues like fuchsia and black, all encrusted with beautiful embellishments in sensational designs.

A white sari would occasionally show up which was teamed with a fuchsia choli and a lehenga in the same colour was worn with an asymmetric angarkha. There was a hint of contemporary styling with a corset and lehengas or a bustier with long slim unattached sleeves. -Daily Post