The Silver Stitch

The Jaali-e-Aaina blouse — Urdu for mirror lattice — is the most architecturally sophisticated piece in The Silver Stitch collection, and the one that most clearly demonstrates what handcraft can achieve that no machine process can: negative space that is itself part of the design. The entire body of the blouse is a hand-worked floral lattice — large circular mirror blooms outlined in cut dana beadwork and filled with poth embroidery, connected by a network of fine beaded stems with deliberate open gaps between each bloom where the fabric has been cut away entirely.

The result is a blouse that is simultaneously fully embellished and visually open — the skin beneath shows through the cutwork gaps, the mirrors catch and reflect light through those same gaps, and the lattice structure creates a dimensional, three-dimensional quality where most embroidered blouses remain flat. The negative space is as considered as the embroidery itself: the cutwork follows the natural contour of each bloom, so the open areas read as petals rather than absences.

The neckline and hem are both scalloped in the same floral cutwork pattern — the arch of each petal defining the upper and lower edges of the blouse as a continuous design element rather than a separate finishing detail. Wide shoulder straps follow the same lattice construction. The back mirrors the front in full cutwork coverage, closing at the centre with a hook. Meticulously handcrafted at The Silver Stitch atelier — this is the rarest kind of embroidery: the kind where what is removed is as important as what remains.

Styling & occasions

The cutwork lattice means the blouse works best worn against skin or a skin-toned liner — black on black for a tonal, architectural look, or over a nude base for maximum visual impact of the negative space pattern. Pair with a black or ivory lehenga, a flared black skirt, or wide-leg trousers. Gold drop earrings, as shown, complete the look. The mirrors do everything else.

Built for sangeet, wedding receptions, Diwali, Navratri, and high-fashion festive events under candlelight and lantern light — where the mirrors in a cutwork lattice perform at their absolute best.