Our artisans & supply chain
At Tala Barbotin Khalidy, we believe preserving craft means preserving the people, knowledge, and communities behind it. Across Lebanon and the Eastern Mediterranean, generations of textile traditions are disappearing as local production declines and fewer artisans are able to sustain their practices.
That’s why we build our collections around working directly with the people who still hold this knowledge. From Aghabani embroidery and crochet to locally woven and archival textiles, we develop our pieces in close collaboration with artisans and small workshops, bringing traditional techniques into contemporary ready-to-wear while ensuring their work remains economically relevant today.
CROCHET ARTISANS
Jounieh & Beirut, LebanonOur crochet pieces are handmade by craftswomen across Jounieh and the Beirut area. Some crochet full-time, while others use the work to supplement their income. Each piece is made slowly by hand, allowing the craft to remain personal, irregular, and deeply human. Through this work, we aim to create continued demand for a skill often passed through women’s hands, homes, and communities.
SEWING, CUTTING, PATTERNMAKING
JAL eL DIB, LEBANONEach piece is carefully cut and sewn by our team in their atelier. The seamsters have over 30 years of experience in their craft. They make their own patterns, as well as cut, and sew every TBK garment.
EMBROIDERY ARTISANS
Beirut & Sad El Baouchriyeh, LebanonOur embroidery is made by a women-led artisan group in Lebanon, including craftswomen in Beirut and an atelier in Sad El Baouchriyeh. In Sad El Baouchriyeh, women are taught embroidery and encouraged to develop their own hand and visual style. The result is not only technical craft, but a form of expression — one that allows each artisan’s gesture to remain visible in the finished garment.
YARN SUPPLY
Turkey via Tripoli, LebanonOur yarn is sourced from Turkey through importers in Tripoli, Lebanon, before reaching our crochet artisans. This movement of material across borders is part of the story of each crochet piece. It reflects a regional supply chain shaped by proximity, trade, and the practical routes through which craft materials continue to circulate.
FABRIC & TEXTILE SOURCING
Damascus, SyriaOur textiles are sourced through a merchant in Damascus who has worked with Tala’s family for three generations. Through this relationship, we source deadstock and endangered regional textiles, including Syrian silk fabrics, Sayé, Aghabani, and vintage Aleppo printed silk scarves. This part of our supply chain connects the garments to inherited relationships, disappearing materials, and the textile histories of Syria.
