How Aakriti Rawal scaled House of Chikankari: a D2C fashion brand in India | Let’s Unpack Ep. 6

In this episode of Let’s Unpack, Anubhav sat down with Aakriti Rawal, the co-founder of House of Chikankari, to dive deep into how she and her mother built one of India’s most loved craft-driven D2C fashion brands. They discussed everything from her years in London that shaped her work ethic, to the moment she realised her mother needed a space to rediscover her identity, to the operational chaos and overnight scale after Shark Tank. Aakriti opens up about burnout, leadership, hiring mistakes, founder-led storytelling, and what it really takes to build a brand that balances heritage, authenticity and modern D2C scale. If you're building something in fashion, D2C, content, or just want a brutally honest look at entrepreneurship, this conversation will stay with you. What we cover 00:00 - Preview 02:03 - Introduction 03:40 - Growing up, studying in London & discovering her leadership style early 11:30 - Why Chikankari searches exploded in 2019 (and what changed in the industry) 14:08 - The conversations with family that eventually sparked House of Chikankari 8:56 - How Aakriti and her mother divided roles without stepping on each other’s toes 23:40 - Early struggles: middlemen, bad vendors, mistakes & being fooled in Lucknow 29:13 - Quality, consistency and the craft promise behind every House of Chikankari piece 32:03 - Burnout, stagnation, frustration & the emotional toll of entrepreneurship 37:48 - Why she went to Shark Tank even though the business was profitable 44:04 - What happened on the backend after the episode aired 46:52 - The massive mindset + operational shift post Shark Tank 49:05 - Hiring, firing, culture fit & Aakriti’s biggest team-building learnings 56:05 - Marketing spend strategy & ROI 59:53 - The rise of founder-led content & UGC as a discovery engine 1:03:11 - Trends in Indian ethnic wear, Gen Z fashion and changing buying behaviour 1:09:28 - Expanding into Kashmiri Aari, Ikat, block printing & the philosophy behind it 1:13:36 - Thoughts on offline stores and where the brand goes next 1:15:08 - Her favourite leadership advice and how she applies it daily About our guest: Aakriti Rawal is the Co-Founder of House of Chikankari, one of India’s most loved craft-led fashion brands. After studying and working in London, she returned to India and built the company alongside her mother, Poonam Rawal, with a mission to bring authenticity, quality, and dignity back to the Chikankari craft. Despite having no background in fashion or manufacturing, Aakriti learned everything on the job— from navigating Lucknow’s artisan clusters to building systems, scaling operations, and crafting a modern D2C brand grounded in heritage. She’s candid, data-driven, deeply purpose-led, and passionate about elevating Indian crafts while creating opportunities for artisans. Outside of work, she loves podcasts, reflective writing, and finding inspiration from other entrepreneurs’ journeys. Linkedin:   / aakritirawal   Instagram:   / aakritirawal   About House of Chikankari: House of Chikankari is a craft-first D2C fashion brand bringing authentic hand-embroidered Chikankari to customers across India and the world. Founded by mother–daughter duo Aakriti and Poonam Rawal, the brand blends traditional craftsmanship with modern design, transparent supply chains, and a strong commitment to artisan empowerment. Over the years, they have become a household name—always staying true to their mission of preserving heritage through thoughtful design and responsible production. Website:   / houseofchikankari.in   Instagram: /houseofchikankari About the show: Let’s Unpack is where real business stories meet real lessons. In every episode, we sit down with founders, creators, and business leaders to dig into the moments that shaped their journey; big wins, hard pivots, tough calls, and everything in between. Whether you're building from scratch, scaling a growing venture, or just trying to figure out the next step, our guests bring honest insights and practical wisdom from their own lived experiences. Think of it as a candid, clutter-free crash course in entrepreneurship, filled with ideas, inspiration, and a few “aha” moments you can actually use. Follow Anubhav on LinkedIn:   / anubhav-sarker