Narinder
Chandigarh: 82-year-old fashion designer Pali Waraich, the wife of an Army veteran, has organized an exhibition of her collections titled 'Crochet in Style' at Hotel Aroma in Chandigarh. The exhibition will run from April 11 to 18, 2023, from 11 am to 10 pm daily. The label 'Pali's Zameen Asmaan' has brought the exhibition, which showcases a range of wears including wedding, party, summer wear, casual bags, caps, gowns, pants, and plazos. The intricate crochet garments are a must-have for those who appreciate style and sophistication.
Pali Waraich established 'Pali's Zameen Asmaan' with the aim of empowering underprivileged women. She has been working towards this cause for the last 30 years and has organized many welfare programs under the Army Wives' Welfare Association (AWWA) banner. Over 200 poor women are currently helping her with garment production work.
Waraich's goal is to provide employment to as many old and destitute women as possible so that they can earn a decent amount every month and regain their dignity and self-respect. "The economic empowerment of women can only be done through giving them employment," she said. She believes that handicrafts like crochet can help ease the plight of poor and illiterate women.
Despite being one of the top 6 designers of Mumbai, Waraich has refused to enter the rat race and instead goes from house to house in the lanes and slums to explain the latest sophisticated and elegant designs to her workers, who are mostly old women. These women make the items with painstaking effort, and Waraich markets them at famous boutiques and outlets such as Saga Stores, Apsara International, Khadi Bhandar Mumbai, and Satyapaul.
Waraich's dresses have been worn by celebrities like Lara Dutta, Miss Universe 2000, MP from Chandigarh and actress Kirron Kher, and many more high-profile women. She has also made a number of designs for the studio of Tarun Tahiliani, the famous designer.
Empowering and helping the needy has been an integral part of Waraich's DNA. She continues to work with passion and zeal, arranging exhibitions and fashion shows at various boutiques in not just the Chandigarh capital region but also Mumbai.