White Chikan Fabric Border from Lucknow
Gentle hand-wash separately in cold water with a mild detergent. Avoid soaking. Iron on medium heat while slightly damp.
Complete your look
Hand-picked pieces that sing gently with this one.
Behind this piece
Chikankari is Lucknow's most eloquent inheritance, a needlework tradition that flourished under Nawabi patronage in the eighteenth century and never quite left the city's fingers. Worked on fine cloth by karigars in the old mohallas of Chowk and Nakhas, the craft involves over thirty distinct hand-embroidery stitches, each with its own name and purpose. This border length carries that lineage in white-on-white relief, the stitches casting soft shadows rather than colour. Rendered here on rayon, the work breathes with the ease of a Lucknavi summer afternoon, unhurried and entirely itself.
How to style
Stitch this border along the hem of a straight-cut kurta in ivory or pale blush cotton for an understated Eid ensemble, paired with pearl drop earrings and kolhapuri flats. Alternatively, apply it to the dupatta edge of a salwar suit for a bride's day-after look where restraint reads as confidence. For contemporary styling, have it sewn as a wide border on wide-leg palazzo trousers and pair with a solid silk blouse and oxidised silver bangles. The border's tonal embroidery works particularly well under natural and candlelight, softening any silhouette it frames.
Fabric & care
Rayon is a semi-synthetic fibre with the drape of silk and the sensitivity of cotton. Hand-wash this border fabric in cold water using a mild, pH-neutral detergent, keeping agitation gentle to protect the embroidered threads. Do not wring or twist; instead, press the water out and lay the piece flat on a clean cotton towel to dry in shade. Iron on a low-to-medium setting with a pressing cloth between the iron and the embroidery. Store folded loosely in a cotton muslin bag, away from direct sunlight, to preserve both the fibre's lustre and the threadwork's integrity over time.
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