Krizmah’s Secret Garden debuts in Islamabad

A two day exhibition was held at the Argentinean Embassy.

ISLAMABAD:

Accessory brand Krizmah has set out to urbanise traditional embroidered handicrafts from Chitral, a valley surrounded by the Hindukush Mountains, by incorporating the female artisan’s weave work into leather bags. The name Krizmah actually describes the wild iris in the Khowar language of Chitral.

The designer duo Zainab Ulmulk (a member of the ancient Katur dynasty of Chitral) and fellow graphic designer Nadia Malik behind the label introduced their vision of embroidered bags at the Argentinean Embassy on Thursday evening for a two day exhibition titled ‘My Secret Garden’.

“We wanted to alleviate the difficult circumstances women in Chitral face financially, by empowering them and harnessing their artistic potential,” shared Malik. Krizmah works in partnership with Mogh, an organisation aiming to give rural women a voice through art which is already a part of their tradition. Ulmulk stated that they are currently working with about 1,800 women in Chitral and have established a private endowment fund for the daughters of their workers.

Given the steep prices of the bags — which range from Rs14,000 to Rs35,000 — and the elite target market, the duo is sure to gather enough returns to make profits while still being able to compensate their workers. One of the highest costs is the imported Italian leather used in their accessories. Krizmah’s designers assure customers that their fusion of quality, novelty and ethnicity makes their bags a hot haute couture commodity.

The 22 handbag designs depict colourful folklore of Chitral’s ancient kingdom in traditional designs, and use vibrant hues such as reds, turquoise, yellows and greens. Peacocks, cavalry scenes, floral motifs and more contemporary designs are all depicted on clutches, satchels and shoulder bags. Ulmulk shared that the ‘Tree of Dream’ tote valued at Rs35,000 has a whopping 130,200 stitches and took eight weeks to make.

Ambassador of the Argentine Republic Rodolfo Martin Saravia noted that this was the third time the embassy has had the honour of promoting Pakistani culture and artists. “During my eight years as ambassador in Islamabad, I have been trying to promote all kinds of art from Argentina and Pakistan as I believe art is the best bridge of understanding between countries and their people,” said Saravia. He also added that Chitrali women are in dire need of assistance and empowerment through their art as their talent shouldn’t be limited to their harsh but beautiful terrain, and they should gain return on the hard work they do.

The Argentinean ambassador’s wife candidly shared with The Express Tribune that her favourite article in the exhibition is a golden clutch with a floral motif which she deemed versatile and classy. “It’s a shame that we don’t have such exquisite ethnic items in Argentina — this could be a real export opportunity for Pakistan as the colour composition and uniqueness of Pakistani arts and craft is unmatched in the world,” she added.

Two of the artisans from Chitral, Mansoora and Faiza, were present at the exhibition; they sat cloistered and shy as they represented their work. Thus, the clash and meshing of rural and urban, elite and working class, modern and traditional, wasn’t only characteristic of the handbags but the exhibition itself.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 30^th, 2012.

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