About us

What we believe in, and where we come from - Our Story

Karbel is a U.S. based clothing brand bringing artisinal handcrafts into the everyday wardrobe.

At Karbel, we believe that beautiful clothing should be a natural part of everyday life. We start with traditional handcrafted techniques, then design around how women actually dress today. Instead of occasion-wear, we create pieces that move naturally between everyday moments - from a coffee meeting at work, to dinner with friends, to a weekend away or a family celebration.

The silhouettes stay clean. The details stay handcrafted.

THE BACKSTORY

Growing up in different parts of India, Divya, our founder, had always admired the craftsmanship behind traditional handcrafts. When she married into a family that had spent three generations working alongside chikankari artisans, she saw first-hand the skill and effort that goes into the craft.

Beautiful as it was, she had, however, always associated chikankari with just special occasions - weddings, festivals or celebrations. After moving to the U.S., building a career over the next 15 years and eventually becoming a mother, she found that the craft rarely fit naturally into her wardrobe.

That perspective began to change after she wore a more relaxed chikankari top on a trip to Hawaii. It was lightweight, breathable and quietly elegant. When family visited wearing similar pieces, people would stop to ask about the embroidery.

It became clear that the craft wasn’t the barrier. It simply needed to be paired with silhouettes that felt at home in everyday life.

FROM CRAFT TO CLOTHING

We don't begin by asking how much embroidery we can put on a garment. We begin with how we want the piece to be worn.

Silhouette, fabric, color, motif and embroidery placement are considered together.

The embroidery itself is worked by hand in and around Lucknow, India, through a process that moves between our production partner, a lead artisan and individual artisans, many of whom work from their homes. It takes time, and is one reason we choose to make in smaller batches.

Sometimes the result is a scattering of florals across a dress, others a border at the hem or embroidery framing a neckline. The details are intentionally restrained, giving the handwork room to be noticed without defining the entire piece.

Learn more about how our pieces are made ›