Celebs love for Lucknowi Kurtis during lockdown

From being gender neutral to Bollywood stars lockdown favourite, experts tell us why Lucknow’s magical Chikankari is a summer staple

Scrolling through sun-dappled images of Bollywood stars flurrying on social media, it’s hard to miss their newfound love for Lucknowi kurtas in myriad colours. While actor Gauahar Khan opted for a grey one with white embroidery, actors Rakulpreet Singh and Radhika Madan opted for yellow and a minimal white, respectively. Some have even experimented with a variety of colours and fabrics.

A prominent technique of traditional Indian weaves – Lucknow’s Chikankari, can be seen splashed on colourful hand woven cotton.Once upon a time, they were a summer favourite, made of cotton with lightweight embroidery that added a dash of glam. Though they lost galore with time, many Indian designers are now trying to revive the trend, which seem to have become a staple, especially during the lockdown.

Designers feel Lucknowi kurtas have always been famous and recently, the Chikankari not just done cotton but on organza and linens are becoming a season favourite. “With new fabrics and patterns being worked upon, this vintage craft is now preferred a lot by millennials. Ones in embroidered on organza are becoming the new summer special,” says designer Gautam Gupta.

Actor Gauahar Khan wears a Lucknowi kurta