Established in 2016, A Chikankari Closet is my ode to my hometown Lucknow and its Lakhnavi tehzeeb (Lucknow’s culture) and its ethos.
Chikankari is one the most popular techniques of hand embroidery in India, that finds its roots in my magical city Lucknow, also known as the City of Nawabs. This ancient art of hand embroidery dates back to the Mughal period and it is believed to be introduced by Queen Noor Jahan. Lucknow takes pride of being the exclusive hub for chikankari embroidery and received the GI status for chikankari in December 2008. The beauty of chikankari is that it involves 40 plus different types of stitches like tepchi, bakhiya, murri, phanda, jaali to name a few, involving various flower and leaf motifs inspired from Mughal art forms. These are often combined with embellishments of mukaish, gota patti, cutdana and pearls. Each garment is meticulously handcrafted by artisans making it a unique piece of art. It is rightly said that chikankari is like poetry on fabric.
Based out of Bangalore, India, our simple intention is to make sure that this art form is made accessible to connoisseurs across the globe, while the technique itself continues to evolve keeping its handcrafted ethnicity intact. Our silhouettes and styles are a testimony to that. Be it a chikankari kurta or chikankari saree, we have multiple options to choose from.
So, as you click away and browse through our collections and every time you buy something from our Closet, rest assured you are taking a part of history and culture with you.