Zardozi on denim? Why not?

Delhi-based designer Mayyur Girotra has teamed up with fashion consultant and stylist Diya Mehta Jatia for a collection of bold, colourful occasion wear. Titled The Kadai Chronicles, the 50-piece collection combines the designer’s colourful universe with Mehta Jatia’s modern, urban aesthetic. Think luxurious suit sets, ghararas, and light lehengas in Girotra’s signature kaleidoscopic mashup of traditional Indian embroidery techniques such as gota patti, zari, zardozi, and kora work. It’s not just Indian wear, though; the collection also reimagines denim with zardozi embroidery in silhouettes like dresses and smart separates. There’s a matching crop top and pants set that Mehta Jatia styles with her Alaïa fishnet ballerina flats and a shearling jacket, a kaftan-like denim dress that can be dressed up or down, and for those looking to nab a real statement piece, look to the cropped jackets with neon embroidery.

Girotra was focussed on creating heirlooms. “I love pieces that can be handed down and cherished across generations. To see a piece move from one closet to another, finding new expressions and avatars—to me, that’s the most beautiful thing clothing can do,” he says.

Below, the duo shares the story behind the collaboration.

How did the collection come about?

Diya Mehta Jatia: My styling team and I discovered Mayyur when we were looking for new designers to work with. We went to Delhi to see his work and realised the way he mixes and merges colours was very interesting. He’s super creative. My personal style is quite edgy and eclectic, which I believe resonated with Mayyur instantly. We started talking about possibilities, like zardozi on denim and velvet, and thought of joining forces.

What inspired the name of the collection?

Mayyur Girotra: We came up with the name The Kadai Chronicles because the entire collection is deeply inspired by Indian motifs, archival references, and rooted in various types of embroideries. There’s Kashmiri aari work, tilla, gota, and zari. Even the modern silhouettes are inspired by tradition. You get that old-school, vintage vibe from the denim garments as well. The pieces are not for a particular season or limited to a period in time. They’re all classics.

You developed the pieces over eight months. How was your experience?

DMJ: It was quite a collaborative effort. Both of us were very keen to know each other’s thoughts and gain reassurance during the design process. After a lot of discussion, Mayyur would develop the digital sketches and share them with me. We would edit the pieces together until we were both happy with the result.

There are quite a few contemporary silhouettes in the collection. Can you tell us a little about them?

DMJ: The denim pieces, especially, are the star of the collection. It was something Mayyur hadn’t explored yet and I always wanted to make Indian embroidery more accessible to a larger market internationally. We decided to use burnt zardozi on the denim, which complemented the fabric really beautifully without being too in your face.

Do you have any favourite pieces?

DMJ: The denim kaftan that I wore for the collection preview [in Mumbai]. You can imagine wearing it anywhere from a beach to dinner. It’s extremely versatile.

The collection will available to shop exclusively on mayyurgirotra.com