Slow Fashion Chikankari: Why Tehzeeb – The House of Chikankari Chose Time Over Trends

In a world that celebrates speed faster deliveries, faster trends, faster consumption Tehzeeb was born with a quiet resistance. Not out of rebellion. But out of respect. Respect for a craft that cannot be rushed. Respect for hands that work slower than machines. Respect for clothing that is meant to be lived in, not scrolled past.

Tehzeeb – The House of Chikankari was never meant to be fast fashion. It was always meant to be intentional.

The Beginning: Not a Brand, But a Belief

At Tehzeeb, slow fashion chikankari is not a trend we adopted later it is the foundation we were built on. Long before “slow fashion” became a global conversation, chikankari had already been practicing it quietly for generations, through patience, handwork, and time. Tehzeeb did not start as a business plan or a market gap. It started as a belief that handmade still matters. Chikankari, one of India’s most delicate and poetic embroideries, is often spoken about as heritage. But living heritage behaves differently. It breathes, changes, and carries human presence in every stitch.

From the very beginning, we knew one thing clearly:

If chikankari was to be offered with honesty, it could not follow fast fashion timelines.

Because chikankari does not belong to factories.

It belongs to homes, courtyards, conversations, patience and time.

Why Slow Fashion Chikankari and Speed Don’t Belong Together

Fast fashion works on predictability:

• Fixed designs

• Fixed timelines

• Fixed outcomes

Chikankari works on the opposite.

Each piece responds differently to:

• Fabric texture

• Thread tension

• Weather

• The artisan’s hand movement

• The number of hours worked in one sitting

  
  

No two hands embroider the same way. No two days produce the same rhythm.

Trying to “speed this up” would mean sacrificing what makes chikankari real.

At Tehzeeb, we chose not to do that.

Why We Don’t Keep Inventory at Tehzeeb

One of the most common questions we receive is:“Why don’t you keep ready stock?”

The answer is simple and deeply intentional.

Keeping inventory would mean:

• Predicting demand instead of responding to it

• Producing in bulk rather than with care

• Prioritizing quantity over craft

At Tehzeeb, every piece is made to order.

This allows us to:

• Respect the natural pace of hand embroidery

• Avoid overproduction and wastage

• Ensure artisans work sustainably, not under pressure

• Create garments that feel personal, not mass-made

When you place an order with Tehzeeb, you are not buying from a shelf. You are beginning a process.

The Beauty of Waiting (That Fast Fashion Took Away)

Waiting has become uncomfortable in modern fashion.But handmade clothing has always asked for patience. At Tehzeeb, waiting is not a delay, it is part of the value.

It allows:

• The fabric to be prepared carefully

• The embroidery to evolve stitch by stitch

• Quality to remain uncompromised

Every extra day spent is not lost time. It is added meaning.

When your garment reaches you, it carries:

• Hours of handwork

• Quiet focus

• Human involvement

This is something no machine can replicate.

A Different Definition of Luxury

Luxury is often confused with labels, logos, and price tags.

At Tehzeeb, luxury means:

• Wearing something that wasn’t rushed

• Owning something not everyone else has

• Feeling the softness of time in fabric

True luxury is knowing who made your garment, how it was made, and why it exists.

Chikankari, in its truest form, is quiet luxury elegant, restrained, and deeply personal.

Why This Matters to a Global Wardrobe

Tehzeeb speaks not only to Indian roots, but to modern global lives.

Our clients wear chikankari:

• In New York apartments

• At intimate dinners in London

• On slow mornings in California

• During everyday moments that don’t require occasion

Because chikankari is not about festivals alone.It is about how you choose to live.

Thoughtfully. Softly. Intentionally.

What Choosing Tehzeeb Really Means

When you choose Tehzeeb, you are choosing:

• Craft over convenience

• Time over trends

• Story over speed

You are choosing to support a system where hands matter.

Tehzeeb is not for everyone and it was never meant to be.It is for those who understand that some things are worth waiting for.

Fast fashion will always exist. But so will those who seek meaning.

Tehzeeb exists for the latter.

Because chikankari deserves time. And so do you.