Afshan Durrani, a Fashion Institute of Technology, NY alumna, founded Lost City in 2005, determined to save the vanishing art of hand embroidery. Lost City synthesizes sophisticated design sensibility, artisanship and environment-friendly production techniques with good business practices. Magasin Totale presents an installation of their best embroidery work. The pieces are created by skilled artisans using techniques first developed in the 14th century in India.
Like many other cities of old, Lucknow, the capital of the most populous state in India, was once a place of mystique and secular traditions. In the 1800s, towards the end of the Mughal Empire, it was India’s center for arts and culture and referred to as the ‘Paris of the East’ due to its traditions of etiquette and opulence, its schools of poetry, music and dance, and its spectacular hand embroidery.
Today, Lucknow is a bustling, chaotic city of deep contradictions. Its world famous architecture has been obliterated by crass commercial structures, its handicrafts industry is starved due to neglect, and its elegant traditions have all but vanished into the dusty haze. While we cannot reverse the ravages of time, there is an embroidery renaissance happening in our workshops, where artisans celebrate and evolve their ancient craft for a new and discerning global clientele.
Lucknow is not the only city that inspires us. Lost City is a metaphor for every city, village and hamlet whose art and beauty is under siege, and is moved by courageous thinkers and artists who have dared to go against the grain in pursuit of their passions.
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