Bagh block print on silk scarf with aari embroidery from Madhya Pradesh

Embroidery has always been in Asif’s bones, having watched his mother transform plain cloth to objects of beauty since young, and grown up in the heart of the world’s great textile hub—Ahmedabad. After graduating from the School of Interior Design (CEPT), Asif went on to experiment with and reinvent textiles and embroideries for over 22 years.

His deep sense for aesthetics, detail and thirst for understanding intricate weaving techniques, printing and dyeing, natural colours, apparatus and embellishing techniques have made him renowned throughout the world for quality Indian textile. This was never more apparent in the 2013 ‘Resurgence’ world tour launched at the IGNCA-New Delhi, which showcased a collection of great Indian textiles created by master artisans under his guidance.

Career highlights include redesigning the Karchob or the scroll frame by mounting the fabric on the frame for the best embroidery results (2012); re-introducing real Kasab gold thread and using beetle wings for embellishing special pieces of embroidery woven from peacock feathers in 2015; and overall, contemporising an art that still retains much of the craftsmanship, techniques and grandeur that helped inspire the East India Trade era.