Care

Hand embroidery is not fragile, but it is worked by hand and it wants to be handled that way. Looked after properly, a piece from this house outlasts the person who made it.

Hand-embroidered pieces

Dry clean only. Take it to someone who has handled zardozi before, and tell them what is on it.

Never machine wash, never soak, never wring. Water loosens metallic thread and it does not go back.

Do not iron over embroidery. Press the plain cloth around it, from the reverse, with a cloth between the iron and the fabric.

If a thread lifts, do not pull it. Bring the piece back to us.

Storage

Store flat where you can. Heavy embroidery hung for months pulls the shoulder out of shape.

Wrap in cotton or muslin, never plastic. Plastic traps moisture and tarnishes metal thread.

Keep out of direct light. Sindoor and other deep colours fade at the folds first.

Refold along different lines once a year so the creases do not set.

Silk and fine cloth

Dry clean. Air the piece after wearing before it goes back into storage.

Blot a spill, do not rub. Rubbing works it into the weave.

Perfume and hairspray before dressing, not after. Both mark silk.

Ready-to-wear

Follow the label sewn into the garment. Where the label and this page disagree, the label is correct - it was written for that piece.

Repairs and restoration

We repair anything made by this house, whenever you bring it back. Thread lifts, a hook gives, a hem drops after a few years of wear - none of that is unusual and most of it is an afternoon's work.

Write to hello@achinbindlish.com or send a photograph on WhatsApp and we will tell you what is involved before you come in.