Shruti Modi’s pop-up The Lucknawi Trunk to showcase her latest hand-embroidered Chikankari collection 

City-based designer, Shruti Modi is all set to host a pop up exhibition of her latest Spring- Summer collection at Istara, a fashion store at Paddapukur Road. The exhibition called The Lucknawi Trunk, begins with a preview this Thursday and will open for sale on Februaru 15.

You can choose from a wide variety of Chikankari clothes, in pure georgette and chiffons, such as, lehengas in muted tones of white, beige, pink and teal, to long kurtas and skirts, saris and even jackets and dresses. “I decided to call the exhibition The Lucknawi Trunk because, just like a trunk fits in everything, even my collection has something for all age groups. There is Kaftan, there are cape tops, kurtas and lehengas, depending on what kind of clothing people are looking for,” says Shruti who launched her label in 2011.

But her obsession with Lucknawi Chikankari developed much later. “It was around January 2017, when I was looking for original Chikankari works for myself when I decided to bring out my own collection with it,” reveals Shruti, who started out with western wear but gradually veered towards ethnic clothes.

She works with 70 karigars and 15 tailors in Lucknow and all her work happens via courier, as the making of her clothes is a long and tedious process. It begins with her buying the fabric, getting it dyed and then sending the khaka or the embroidery designs, to the karigars with instructions. That is why, almost every embroidery work which you will find on her clothes, is handmade but none can be replicated. She also blends the gota work from Jaipur, along with mukesh work and crochet, to embellish the borders of the dupattas or lehengas and add fine detailing at the neck or the sleeves of Kurtas.

We were quite taken in by the sleeveless cocktail dress in Ivory, with flared cuts, and Lucknawi hand embroidery and mukesh work on the yoke. Another eye-catching piece was a peach dupatta, filled with shadow work embroidery in white thread and ring-mukesh work.  

The 35-year-old couturier also works with contrasting colours to add different hues to the garments, for those who do not like wearing muted shades. A cape in kesariya yellow with pink piping work was a perfect example of her experiments, along with a lehenga dyed in red, and its embroidery work in pink thread. She also uses satin modal skirts or ghagras, with blouson style or crop-top blouses, or a boat-neck halter one, to add variety to the wedding trousseau.

Although Shruti is very particular about the clothes she makes, and goes to tedious lengths to bring out garments with a clean finishing, she doesn’t believe in too much planning. “Fashion is all about confidence and loving yourself. I believe in choosing happiness over everything else,” she smiles.

Starting price for Saris Rs 28,000

For lehengas Rs 55,000

The Lucknawi Trunk exhibition will preview at Istara on February 14.