The making of a Karbel chikankari piece
Chikankari is a centuries-old hand embroidery tradition closely associated with the city of Lucknow in Northern India. It is distinguished by its vocabulary of stitches and the different textures they create - from fine, flat threadwork to raised and dimensional details. Traditionally worked as white thread on white fabric, chikankari's effect emerges through stitch, texture and shadow rather than color alone. Florals, leaves and small repeating motifs are characteristic of the craft.
Creating that handwork is a multi-step process. Here is how a Karbel piece takes shape.
The Journey of a Karbel piece
01 The silhouette
Raw natural white fabric is first cut and stitched by our team of tailors. The silhouette is created before the embroidery or color is added.
02 The pattern
Hand carved wooden blocks are used to print a washable outline directly onto the garment, showing the artisan where the embroidery will sit.
Motif, scale and placement are considered for each design, including how much embroidery to leave out.
03 The embroidery
The marked garments are collected by a lead artisan and taken to his or her village, where they are distributed among chikankari artisans, many of whom work from their homes.
Following the printed guide, the embroidery is worked by hand, stitch by stitch. Once complete, the pieces are collected and returned to our production facility.
04 The color
After the embroidery is complete, each piece is hand dyed and washed. The printed guide disappears, revealing the embroidery against the finished color.
04 The finishing
Buttons, labels, lace and other final details are added.
What began in raw white cotton is now a finished Karbel piece.