Sari and blouse

This sari is embellished with sujini embroidery which is a basic running stitch used by the women of Bihar, India, to patch together old fabric and garments into quilts. Here it has been transformed by the designer Swati Kalsi into a luxury garment by transplanting the technique onto tussar silk. The sari was created by a group of women in Bihar for Jiyo! (Live!). A brand which was established in 2007 as a creative, economic and social development initiative, building on the long tradition of non-government organisations developing a more ethical and less exploitative way of working with India's large body of crafts people.