OUR STORY

Born from a love for Lucknow, its craft and the hands behind it.

THE CHICKANKARI STUDIO began with a simple love for Chikankari—the kind of work that does not need to be loud to be noticed.

The more we understood the craft, the more we realised that there is much more behind a finished kurta than the embroidery we see on the surface.

A Chikankari piece passes through many hands. The design is first chhapa onto the fabric using wooden blocks, then the embroidery is worked carefully over that pattern, and once the stitching is complete, the fabric goes through dhulai and finishing so the temporary print disappears and the embroidery finally comes to life.

At THE CHICKANKARI STUDIO, we value every person who becomes a part of this journey—from the chapai karigar who prepares the design, to the artisans who spend hours working on the embroidery, to the people involved in washing and finishing the garment.

Because for us, Chikankari is not only about selling a beautiful kurti. It is also about respecting the time, patience and skill that make that piece possible.

Our aim is to bring this traditional craft into wardrobes today without taking away the character that makes it special.

OUR MISSION

To take Chikankari forward without leaving its people or its story behind.

Our mission is simple: to offer Chikankari that feels beautiful to wear while staying connected to the craft at its roots.

We want our collections to feel easy and relevant—something you can wear on an ordinary day, to work, to a family gathering or on an occasion when you want something a little more special.

But while styles may change, we do not want the value of handwork to disappear.

The making of Chikankari is a chain of skills. Chapayi, embroidery, dhulayi and finishing each have their own role, and the finished garment often carries the contribution of many skilled hands.

Through THE CHICKANKARI STUDIO, we want to give that work the respect it deserves and help support the karigars who continue to keep this craft alive.

We believe the best way to preserve a traditional craft is not to keep it stuck in the past, but to make people want to wear it, understand it and value the people behind it.

So we continue to explore fabrics, colours and silhouettes that work for women today, while keeping the heart of the craft where it belongs—with the karigars of Chikankari.

THE ART OF CHIKANKARI

A craft shaped by history, and kept alive by hand.

Chikankari carries a long and fascinating history, with one of its most popular traditions linking the craft to Nur Jahan, the Mughal empress known for her refined taste in art, textiles and embroidery.

Over time, Chikankari became deeply associated with Lucknow, where it flourished under the patronage of Awadh and gradually developed the delicate stitches, floral motifs and fine detailing that continue to define the craft today.

But the true story of Chikankari is not only found in royal courts and history.

It lives in the homes, workshops and hands of the people who still make it.

A block printer places the pattern onto the fabric. An embroiderer follows those lines carefully with needle and thread. Different stitches slowly build texture and detail. Later, the fabric is washed and finished so that the printed guide disappears, leaving only the embroidery behind.

What appears soft and effortless in the finished garment is actually the result of patience, repetition and years of skill.

That is what makes Chikankari special to us.

It carries traces of Mughal and Awadhi heritage, but it continues to live because generations of karigars have kept working with the craft and passing their knowledge forward.

At THE CHICKANKARI STUDIO, we hope to become a small part of that continuing story—by supporting the people involved in the process, respecting the traditional character of the craft and presenting it in a way that feels relevant for a new generation.

For us, Chikankari is not simply embroidery. It is Lucknow, its karigars, its history and a tradition still being written by hand.

OUR CRAFT & HERITAGE

Made by hand. Shaped by Lucknow. Carried forward with care.

Chikankari has been part of Lucknow’s cultural identity for generations. Its history is often associated with the Mughal period and the refined artistic world of Nur Jahan, while the craft later found a lasting home in Lucknow, where it continued to develop under the influence of Awadhi culture.

What makes Chikankari special is not only the embroidery you see on the finished garment, but the process behind it.

A single piece can pass through several skilled hands before it is ready to wear. The design is first transferred onto the fabric through chapai, traditionally using wooden blocks. The embroidered work is then completed by artisans who carefully follow the printed pattern, building the design stitch by stitch. After the embroidery is finished, the fabric goes through dhulai and finishing, where the temporary print is removed and the final character of the embroidery begins to show.

This means every Chikankari garment carries the work of more than one artisan.

At THE CHICKANKARI STUDIO, we value the entire chain of craftsmanship—the chapai karigars, embroidery artisans, washing and finishing workers, and everyone whose skill contributes to the final piece. Their work is an important part of the story behind what we offer.

Many of the details that make Chikankari beautiful cannot be rushed. The delicacy of the stitches, the small variations of handwork and the time taken to complete a motif are what give each piece its individual character.

For us, preserving Chikankari does not mean keeping it unchanged or confined to the past. It means respecting the original craft while finding ways for it to remain part of how people dress today.

That is why our collections bring together traditional embroidery with fabrics, colours and silhouettes that feel comfortable, wearable and relevant to the modern wardrobe.

We want the person wearing a piece from THE CHICKANKARI STUDIO to see more than just a beautiful kurti. We want her to recognise the craft, the history and, most importantly, the hands behind it.

Because Chikankari is not simply made in Lucknow—it carries a little of Lucknow with it.