
William Shakespeare has said ‘What’s in a name?’. But for Delhi-based and Lucknow-born comic-content creator Harshi Gupta, who has just launched her label Chikankari Hues, the name is “everything”, and she has merged her two identities in her new campaign – Main Hun Lucknow.
“Lucknow’s markets are full of Chikankari ensembles. This is why even eminent designers, be it Manish Malhotra or Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla, have their chikankari craft clusters here,” she tells TMS on the popularity of the craft that is not just spotted on Indian icons like Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh but also Hollywood actors such as Jennifer Aniston in movie Murder Mystery 2, and Judi Dench at the Venice Film Festival, 2013.
Gupta’s new campaign features her on the streets of the City Of Nawabs donning elegant chikankari kurtas in refreshing summer colours of mint green and sky blue to classics like white. However, there is a twist. “We are showcasing the craft, but in a very chic way. Every designer or curator, who is in the Chikankari market, is doing it the ‘Salona Sa Sajan’ (song) way, which has a quintessentially traditional Indian vibe. However, I want Chikankari to look hot, sexy and contemporary!” she says, adding that her aim is to make this traditional craft more accessible, and not just something you’d wear once a year, or on special occasions. Gupta had styled the outfits with leather boots, wide-legged denims, belts with snazzy shades to amplify its versatility when styled in different ways. “We have crafted capsule edits for work, brunch, festivity and casual wear,” she adds.
The Eureka moment
Gupta belongs to a business family of Lucknow. She has fond memories of shopping for chikankari kurtas with her mother. While starting a business was on her mind for a long time, she didn’t have that “inner calling” until her wedding day last December. She wore an ethereal custom-made red chikankari lehenga paired with a tulle dupatta that took eight months and hard work of six women artisans to be crafted. She did not know till the end how her final lehenga looked because it was undergoing various processes from sketching, to dyeing and ornamentation. “I was scared about how it would turn out. When it was revealed, it was worth the wait. I held it in my hands and realised that the beauty of handwork chikankari is unparalleled and is being lost in the mass-produced machine-made pieces. Plus, the artisans are being paid very meagre amounts and it’s not a sustainable livelihood for them. On my wedding day, I decided to give back to this community and spotlight the craft that I’ve grown up wearing,” she says.
Chikankari is believed to have been introduced in India during the Mughal rule, around the 16th century, and was patronised by Nur Jehan, the wife of Mughal emperor Jehangir. The 200-year-old craft was later promoted by the Nawabs of Avadh, which led to the flourishing of craft clusters on the outskirts of Lucknow. Gupta travelled to many such remote hubs to learn about the various processes such as chapai (wooden block printing), kadhai (embroidery) and finally dhulai (washing to remove extra ink from clothes). “I was deeply humbled by my visit to the experience centres on the outskirts of Lucknow. A bunch of extremely punctual and dedicated craftswomen would reach the centres by 10am and sign off at 5pm. They were involved in the creative part of Chikankari—the meticulous embroidery patterns and stitches like murri, ghaspatti, penchni, kangan and so on. I loved learning about the stitches and doing jaali work myself,” says the 30-year-old.
Wearing many hats
Gupta’s love for fashion goes back to her teen years. She had applied to all design schools in the country but could not get through any. She ended up being an RJ for three years. Later, she shot to fame with her hilarious observational comedy videos under her Instagram username Soharshi, which eventually garnered her collaborations with actors Shraddha Kapoor and Jimmy Shergill, and Ashneer Grover, as well as the number nine spot in Forbes 100 Digital Stars Of India 2023 list. Some of her comic rant reels on marriage, work-life, Indian parents, and especially the ones that feature her father giving her advice on love and relationships, are a favourite of many for their relatability, with some of them garnering over 11 million views!
On being asked what role she has so far enjoyed the most — RJ, content creator or entrepreneur, she says: “I love being a comic-content creator, writing my own scripts and shooting. A lot of girls come to me and say that they love to see my videos, especially the ones that feature my father. My father too is enjoying fame! He often comes to me and tells me how people recognise him from the videos and want to take selfies with him! The kind of shine I see in his eyes is precious. I hope to get the same fulfillment from my new venture. I am sure that it’s going to be a wild ride!