FT NEWS

Chikankari or chikan is a traditional embroidery style with its roots in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh and previously the capital of the Awadh region, controlled by the Delhi Sultanate and later, the Mughal Empire.

The word means embroidery, and it is one of Lucknow's best known and world renowned textile decoration styles.

What is chikankari, really?

Chikan is a delicate and artfully done hand embroidery on a variety of textile fabric like muslin, silk, chiffon, organza, net, etc. White thread is embroidered on cool, pastel shades of light muslin and cotton garments. Nowadays, chikan embroidery is also done with coloured and silk threads in colours to keep up with the modern demand and keep chikankari up-to-date. Lucknow is the heart of the chikankari industry today and the variety is known as Lucknawi chikan.

Designer chikankari is a thing

Not only has chikan gone big in Bollywood but it has also found fame abroad, and that has led to coming to centerstage of many designer labels that only specialise in chikankari clothing and make them on order too. Singer Kanika Kapoor's House of Chikankari and Anjul Bhandari are some names to reckon with when it comes to designer chikan clothing.

How to style chikan kurtas?

The best part about chikan kurtas are their simplicity. You don't necessarily have to put together a kurta set to flaunt chikan. You can team it up with khakis, jeans and even go without pants in case of anarkali kurtas.

There's something from every one

They are trendy, come in all prices. You can buy a crisp kurta from the wholesaler for INR 1,000 onwards or buy an exclusive designer piece starting INR 10,000. There's something for everyone and that makes it so popular.