Izharson Perfumers traces its start to 1928, when founder Izhar Ahmad began manufacturing and selling attars in the Shahi Bazaar of Chowk, in the old quarter of Lucknow — a city whose perfumery trade grew up under the patronage of the Nawabs.
Best for Lucknow attars across seven fragrance families
Izharson Perfumers traces its start to 1928, when founder Izhar Ahmad began manufacturing and selling attars in the Shahi Bazaar of Chowk, in the old quarter of Lucknow — a city whose perfumery trade grew up under the patronage of the Nawabs. The business was formally established in 1931 and has run continuously from Chowk since, adding a second branch in Hazratganj's Janpath Market in 2006 as Lucknow's retail center shifted toward the newer district.
The house's catalogue has grown to more than two hundred fragrances, organized into seven attar categories — woody, citrus, traditional, floral, single-flower, fruity, and aquatic — mirrored by a matching line of alcohol-based perfumes, alongside bakhoor, incense sticks, and air and car fresheners. That range reflects Lucknow's own attar tradition, distinct from Kannauj's: less defined by a single signature scent than by breadth, custom blending, and a retail relationship built over generations of walk-in customers in the Chowk bazaar.
Nearly a century after Izhar Ahmad first set up in Shahi Bazaar, Izharson still operates from the same original quarter of the old city, with the Hazratganj branch serving the newer commercial center — two storefronts spanning Lucknow's shift from Nawabi-era bazaar to modern retail district.
Ada Designer Chikan Studio is a Lucknow house of hand-embroidered Lucknowi chikankari, offering kurtis, sarees, suits, menswear and home linens. Its online store ships worldwide from Lucknow and the brand also operates physical Ada stores.
Best for Chikankari, hand embroidery, textiles, apparel
Nazrana Chikan was established in 1981 and is now run by three generations of the same family, supporting more than 10,000 karigars in GI-certified chikankari embroidery on kurtis, suits, sarees, lehengas and men's kurtas in cotton, georgette, silk, chanderi and organza. It has stores in Janpath and Nirala Nagar in Lucknow and in Chandigarh's Elante Mall.
Rohia by Chhangamal offers hand-embroidered Lucknowi chikankari sarees, kurtis and suits crafted by Lucknow artisans. Its online store sells with online ordering in multiple currencies and worldwide shipping, and lists physical store locations.
Best for Chikankari, hand embroidery, sarees, apparel
Saman Chikan sells Lucknowi chikankari embroidery across women's wear such as anarkalis, kaftans and sarees, men's kurta fabrics, unstitched fabrics and home furnishings, including collections named Mukaish Badla, Noor and Pashmina. It ships with cash on delivery within India and worldwide, with prices ranging from 2,000 to 36,500 rupees.
The Chikan Label sources hand-embroidered chikankari from artisan clusters in Chowk and Aminabad in Lucknow, a craft protected by a Geographical Indication tag and practiced by around 2.5 lakh artisans using more than 32 distinct hand stitches including flat, embossed and open-work jali techniques. Its products, described as 100% hand-embroidered, include kurtas, kurta sets, sarees and palazzo sets.
Best for Hand-embroidered chikankari with jali stitches
Veersons Chikankari Studio sells hand-embroidered chikankari from Lucknow, embroidered by women artisans, across kurtis, sarees, unstitched fabrics and men's and children's wear. It has stores at Janpath Market in Hazratganj and at Kalyanpuri Colony in Thakurganj, Lucknow, open 11:00 am to 9:30 pm daily.
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