KRI Designer Chikan Studio| An exclusive interview with Khushboo Rastogi

Khushboo Rastogi has always been drawn towards the cultural and traditional heritage of hand embroidery and ever since she was a child, the skill of designing and the art of hand embroidery is something that intrigued her. She would find herself immersed in the experience of working in her parent’s factory as a child, the clothing and apparel industry appealed to her and that’s how the seed of a successful designer was sown into her.

Her inspiration for pursuing Chikankari

Khushboo Rastogi studied Fashion Technology from Polimoda, Italy and it is there that she acquired the skills and inspiration of pursuing chikankari. While studying in Italy, Khushboo realized the great value that the dying art of hand embroidery held.

“I think that it’s wonderful that we humans are being able to create such masterpieces and I feel that in India we don’t value it as much as it is valued outside of India.”

Khushboo says that she was inspired to take Chikankari, the famous traditional embroidery style of her hometown, Lucknow India, because she wanted to revive the dying art of hand embroidery by blending traditional heritage with modern trends. Another reason for her choosing chikankari was that the creativity in her wanted to create something different from the norm.

Her designing style

“My designs are mostly feminine and created in a way that could suit women from all walks of life. We create designs to flatter each and every silhouette with a lot of colour experimentation so that a person could always find something that suits their style and expectations.”

Khushboo says that the most important factor when she creates a design is the fitting and the silhouette that could amplify and embrace a person’s own beauty and form. Her designs are created to flatter the body shape and size of all women in various colours so that everyone can find something that matches perfectly with their style.

“The best part about working in chikan embroidery and creating fusion wear or indo-western wear in a niche community is that not many people do it. I believe that there are not many brands available that provide chikan embroidery fusion wear in the quantities and the price range that I do.”

Khushboo Rastogi shared that the planning session for a new design or product begins almost 2 years in advance where they plan and predict the upcoming fashion trends. She shared that they do a lot of planning and watch the fashion shows to get an idea about what kind of silhouettes, materials and colours will be trending in the future Fashion and that planning is what is necessary and is the initial stage of creating any design.

“The research and development is the part where we discuss our ideas and designs that we like. We create colour palette and mood boards and plan what kind of designs we want to bring out into the market. Then in the next stage we bring in the raw materials and start with the manufacturing process.”

Supporting the Artisans

Khushboo Rastogi says that the artisans are one of the most important parts of the brand and she makes sure that fair trade is maintained, that is the reason the artisans have been working dedicatedly in her since many years.

“What makes us different from the most of the market is that the quality and price are never compromised in our brand. We are more focused on quality over quantity and that is how we always pay the fair market rate to our artisans while providing them a platform to work.”

The value is in the details

Khushboo Rastogi shares that the value her brand, KRI, holds is all about the details.

“We make sure that the garment that we are designing should look as pretty from the inside as it looks from the outside.”

She further shares that the focus is always on creating neat and perfect finishing with a delicate and refined touch. The garments are always made in high quality as Khushboo Rastogi does not believe in fast fashion.

“We create high quality clothing and we are moving towards creating a more and more sustainable environment every day. We create garments using fabrics made up of natural fibersand avoid using anything made up of polyester or non-sustainable fabrics.”

Khushboo Rastogi further says that she wishes to create an environment which is beneficial to all.

Milestones of KRI Designer Studios

“Our milestones are that we have started creating niche products like Pashmina Shawl with chikan embroidery. We were blessed enough that Chief Minister presented our Pashmina Shawl to Prime Minister Modi during his visit to Lucknow.”

Khushboo also adds that on the recent opening of Phoenix Palassio in Lucknow, three giant artworks of chikan embroidery were installed in the mall and it was done by her. She cherishes these recent memories as the milestones of her journey as a designer.

The Essence of Fashion

Khushboo Rastogi believes that Fashion is what you are and how you want to present yourself to the world, not just in clothing but in style. She believes that your fashion should be able to define ‘you’ to the other people as humans are very visual creatures, so Fashion is the impression that you want to leave on people.

“I believe that fashion is your eternal style and it is what makes you identifiable as ‘you’ and not just as any common entity.”