A chaadar (shawl) is a 3 yard fabric used for covering head and shoulders, worn mostly by the women of Sub-continent. At Nida Azwer Atelier, I had the opportunity to design these luxurious silk garments adorned with conversational miniature embroideries inspired by the Mughal and Persian Art. The compositions portray historical elements, from stories of Emperor Akbar to the hunting scenes of the Royals of Persia. These illustrious pieces take three to five months to complete and are handmade by the very skillful artisans using the Aari needle and silk threads. Aari embroidery is one of the most popular and ancient of the hand embroideries practiced in Pakistan. It is a hooked (pen-like) needle that uses the thread directly from the thread spool thus saving embroidery time.