It is late afternoon, and Chowk, one of the oldest markets of Lucknow, is bathed in the golden hues of dusk. Amid hurried footsteps drumming on cobblestones, the cries of vendors and the thick aroma of kebabs, a narrow by-lane leads to veteran embroiderer Zafar Ali’s weathered yet quiet kaarkhana of chikankari and zardozi.

Sitting cross-legged on the cement floor, Zafar bends over an adda, a wooden frame stretched taut with fabric. With a hooked needle, he guides metallic threads through the cloth, bringing blossoms and vines to life.

“When tariffs go up, we are the first to be hit. If the businessman doesn’t get orders, he won’t place orders with me. My livelihood dries up then,” says Zafar, referring to the tariffs imposed by the US on textile imports from India.

Zardozi and chikankar

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