Where there is passion, excellence follows. This adage aptly sums up the efforts of a 82-yr-old army officer’s wife, Pali Waraich, who has put up her crochet-inspired collection up for sale at hotel Aroma, Chandigarh.
A whole range of clothes- right from wedding, party, summer wear, casual bags, caps, gowns, pants to plazos – are up for grabs at ‘Crochet in Style Exhibition’ which is on till April 18, 2023 from 11 am to 10 pm daily. Under the label Pali’s Zameen Asmaan, the intricately woven crochet- woven garments are a must-have for the stylish and sophisticated. Crochet is a traditional art of weaving beautiful designs on garments.
Pali’s Zameen Asmaan was established by Pali Waraich who has been working for the empowerment of women from weaker sections of society for the last 30 years. Today, more than 200 poor women are helping her with garment production work.
A well known designer, Pali Waraich’s dresses have been worn by celebrities like Miss Universe 2000 Lara Dutta, MP from Chandigarh and actress Kirron Kher, and she has also made a number of designs for famous designer Tarun Tahiliani.
Empowering and helping the needy has been an integral part of her DNA. Being the wife of an Army officer, she has also done commendable work under the banner of Army Wives’ Welfare Association (AWWA). She is convinced that handicraft which is known to most of our poor and even illiterate women can help ease their plight to some extent. She has also attended design courses during her visit to England.
“I wish to give employment to the maximum number of old and destitute women, who can earn sitting in their homes. I strongly feel that the economic empowerment of women can only be done through giving them employment, so that these women can earn a decent amount every month which gives them dignity and self respect,” said Pali.
Though she has been adjudged as one of the top six designers of Mumbai, she refused to enter the rat race and instead goes from house to house in the lanes and slums and explains the latest sophisticated and elegant designs to her workers, who are mostly old women. These old women make these items with painstaking effort. Pali Waraich markets these items at famous boutiques and outlets such as Saga Stores, Apsara International, Khadi Bhandar Mumbai and Satya Paul.
She also arranges exhibitions and fashion shows at various boutiques not only in the Tricity but also in Mumbai. Despite her age she’s still going strong and is working with a lot of passion and zeal.
