Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal’s latest venture, Ehaab, features ready-to-stitch creations for men and women

hen actor Richa Chadha got married to Ali Fazal in October 2022, she chose to wear a custom Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla kurti for their ceremony in Lucknow. The o’-white chikankari kurti with a heavily embroidered yoke and borders was worn with a net dupatta accented with Swarovski crystals. “It was my hat tip to the city of Lucknow and to the culture of the family in which I am married into,” says the Fukrey actor.

That small gesture on her part has grown into a full-›edged tribute with the Bollywood couple’s sustainable fashion brand Ehaab Couture. The label — formed in collaboration with designer Yasmin Saeed — aims to work with local artisans from Lucknow celebrating the centuries old art of chikankari and helping them preserve the legacy of this intricate art form. The ”rst drop comprises pure tissue, chanderi chikan kurtis for women and chikankari kurta sets for men in summery shades of peach, apple green, o’-white as well as in darker shades of blue, purple and mauve.

The seeds of Ehaab — which means a gift, and is derived from the Arabic word ‘ehb’ — were sown during the pandemic. Ali, whose

Wfamily has known Yasmin for many years, came forward to ensure that the artisans working in the latter’s production unit in Lucknow do not lose their livelihood. However, while charity is beautiful, it eventually runs out and they were only too aware of that. The duo then decided to come up with something sustainable and intrinsic to the culture of Lucknow and make it more accessible to the world. Thus, Ehaab was born.

With the brand, Ali and Richa aim to support the artisans who they believe are the true custodians of India’s handcrafted legacy. Says Richa, “For us, Ehaab is more than just a fashion label or a business endeavour. We have oriented it (Top) Richa Chadha with Ali Fazal; (right) an outfit by Ehaab.