Janhvi Kapoor’s resham sari by Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla is an ode to Kashmiri craftsmanship

Janhvi Kapoor turned heads at the Toronto Film Festival premiere of her film Homebound with three distinctive looks that blended the best of Indian craftsmanship with global fashion. All three ensembles were styled by Rhea Kapoor, who seamlessly blended archival pieces with Indian sensibilities to create a versatile and grounded lookbook for the actress.

For her first look, Janhvi Kapoor donned one that was old, new, borrowed, and blue. A resham sari by Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla formed the centerpiece of the outfit, echoing the designer duo’s penchant for intricate embroideries, as well as their dedication towards preserving Indian artisanal crafts. Featuring resham embroidery inspired by the detailed motifs of jamawar patterns, the sari paid tribute to Kashmiri heritage.

Stylist Rhea Kapoor combined elements from Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla’s archives, as well as personal pieces to achieve Janhvi’s final look. An antique jamawar shawl from her own collection was draped over the actress’s shoulders, fringed with handmade silk resham tassels for lush texture. The sari was then layered with a vintage men’s jamawar jacket from the 1980s, upcycled and reembroidered by Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla. Traditionally, up to 50 colours can be woven into a single jamawar shawl, with rich shades of red, gold, green, and blue being the most popular.

Rhea Kapoor took further inspiration from Indian rituals by pairing the sari with shoulder-grazing silver earrings that were inspired by the Kashmiri dejhur: a traditional bridal ornament passed down through generations. A handcrafted bangle from Amrapali Jewels and a custom ‘chabi ka guccha’ by Apala by Sumit finished the look. Kapoor’s block heels, also designed by Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla, mirrored the jamawar motifs of the sari.