India, Sept. 24 -- India is rich in textile and craft traditions. The sheer variety of techniques and skills is staggering. Over the years, however, with the move to mass production, much has been forgotten. But it is still possible to find samples of work in the archives of the 40-year-old Mumbai atelier, Chanakya International. Founded by Vinod Shah, for years, it has supplied embroidery and other hand embellishments to global couture houses such as Versace, Christian Dior, Prada and others.

The atelier, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, even has 15th generation craftsmen working for it so its archives, unsurprisingly, are a treasure trove. Its Byculla office has several rows of samples, accounting for more than a lakh s...