RAQ Awards 2004 dress

This dress is made from cotton poplin with raffia, stone chips and gold gota braid. The bodice of the dress features raffia cornelli type embroidery, where the raffia has been laid on top of the fabric, and caught by needle from underneath. Multi-coloured raffia embroidery covers the skirt, mixed with small stone chips. The tiers are wired to add stiffness, and edged with gota braid (crimped gold braid). Cornelli is embroidery that applies cord or ribbon, creating curved patterns in a continuous line. Gota is a narrow ribbon woven on looms with a cotton warp and metal weft, originally real gold and silver. It uses a yarn that is pressed and rolled to flatten and polish it, before it is heat pressed or crimped to add relief patterns.