Modernising Traditional Art
In the tumultuous lockdown of 2020, the need to create a deeper impact on the country’s craftsmen was expressed by the mother-daughter duo of Poonam Rawal and Aakriti Rawal. And thus, the House of Chikankari was born to ensure that the talent and expertise of Indian artisans, the heritage and craftsmanship are cherished by all.
A textile connoisseur, Co-founder Poonam Rawal has been designing ethnic wear for herself. Her intricately hand-embroidered Chikankari outfits and this obsession naturally trickled down to her daughter, Aakriti Rawal, Co-founder and CEO of the House of Chikankari.
Shark Tank episode
According to Aakriti Rawal, after making a presentation in Shark Tank, the brand received love from existing customers and the community and also from partners like third-party vendors who were keen to collaborate with them. “The experience from Shark Tank was really amazing and it was overwhelming for the brand overall, sales have gone up,” she said.
“The biggest benefit of Shark Tank is working with Aman Gupta and Peyush Bansal towards the next leg of growth of the business and both continuously mentoring and guiding us on how we should proceed towards scaling the business,” Rawal said.
Raw material procurement
Lucknow is the birthplace of this traditional Indian artwork of Chikankari and it is also known as Lucknow Chikankari. Rawal said, “We procure raw materials from various fabric manufacturers and embroidery is done by artisans in a village near Lucknow. We are also experimenting with this Chikankari art on various dresses and that could become more relevant for younger generations and that’s why we see huge potential for growth.”
Expanding globally
“We are getting a lot of orders from global customers. 35 per cent of our revenues are coming from the out-of-India market and I think there is huge potential in the global market,” Rawal said.
She also believes that this traditional art form will help in connecting NRIs to their roots back in India. “We see great potential to expand globally by expanding our channels and reach,” she shared.
