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Timeless Wear


ahilya scarves, capes and draped shapes acquire an individual lustre with age by becoming softer and acquiring an eternal quality worth treasuring.

To ensure you get this optimum length of wear from your ahilya piece, we recommend handling with tender care, avoiding direct contact with jewellery and sharp objects that might cause damage.

Store your ahilya piece in a zip-lock or a garment bag. Deep-freeze your piece in a sealed plastic bag for a week to kill off any moth eggs and pests. This method doesn’t damage the fibres and there is no residue of chemicals.

Colour transfer may occur when ahilya ombrés are worn with light-coloured garments.

Care

Gently maintained, your ahilya piece should last a lifetime and age beautifully into the heirloom it deserves to become.

ahilya is guided by environmentally friendly methods and our experience suggests that you consider the methods described to best care for your ahilya scarf, cape or draped shape. You can refer to your care label for information on the composition of your piece.



Airing

this applies to all ahilya pieces

ahilya scarves, capes and draped shapes do not require intensive cleaning. Airing your ahilya piece is a natural alternative giving your scarf, cape or draped shape a fresh lease of life to offer renewed comfort.

Open the windows, to air with plenty of ventilation. All ahilya pieces may be hung in fresh air on a suitable hanger away from direct heat or sunlight. Ironing on medium heat and combing the fringes is another way to naturally refresh your ahilya piece. We recommend against the use of steam, which curls the fringes and fibres of your pieces.

Removing stains by spot cleaning

this applies to all ahilya pieces with embellishments (knitted trims, beading, chain accents or lace) and all plain scarves except ahilya ombrés and fur

If your ahilya piece has a stain but is otherwise clean, try to “spot-clean” it first as an alternative to dry-cleaning. However, ahilya pieces with stubborn stains (including paint, nail polish and dyes) should be taken to the dry cleaner as soon as possible.

Using extra care, stained pieces should be spot cleaned immediately, left unattended; stains may worsen and fix, especially with the help of any heat source, such as ironing and pressing.

Apply an absorbent such as talcum powder or cornstarch to the affected area, and then brush away. If the stain is stubborn, it should not be rubbed but instead blotted with dry absorbent paper towels- one piece in front and one behind, to remove any excess fluid. Then, softly sponge the stained spot with foam from a vegetable soap, patting gently at intervals so the stain is more easily loosened.

Hand washing

this applies to all plain, non-embellished ahilya pieces

ahilya pieces are not suitable for regular dry-cleaning because the chemicals used can damage the fibres. Infrequent hand washing is usually a practical alternative, once a season. We recommend hand washing in cold water using a simple soap, such as Savon de Marseille or Aleppo vegetable soap.

Soaking your ahilya piece is not recommended as water sets oils and dirt into the delicate fabric and may affect colour. Bleach should never be used. Your ahilya piece should not be wrung, twisted, tumble-dried, spin-dried or vigorously rubbed. These abrasions may result in the permanent removal of dye, which becomes more apparent after each hand-wash and may cause pile damage.

Colours of your ahilya ombrés are achieved through a special hand-dying process. We do not recommend hand-washing these pieces, but if you do decide to hand-wash please be aware that there is a risk of colour transfer. These pieces should be hand washed separately or with similar colours.

Your ahilya piece should be dried flat, away from direct heat or sunlight and medium ironed under a linen cloth, but you should be careful ironing metallic fibres. Comb and iron fringes with a normal comb so that they do not curl but maintain a soft and smooth finish.

Dry Cleaning

this applies to all ahilya pieces

We recommend using a quality and reputable dry-cleaner infrequently, who offers a hand valeting service to ensure your ahilya piece is tenderly maintained.

Always ask for your ahilya piece to be dry cleaned using the dry-clean F cycle f as opposed to the standard P cycle p which uses solvents without restriction. The two bars underneath the dry-clean F symbol necessitates extra gentle cleaning, assuring that your ahilya piece is cleaned using very weak hydrocarbon solvents, sensitive to heat and movement. No steam or vacuum is required in this special dry clean F cycle, which guarantees that the finished texture of your piece remains of the most luxurious quality.

Specialist Fur cleaning

this applies to all ahilya fur pieces

Maintenance of fur requires expert inspection and cleaning. Fur should be specially cleaned separately by a fur specialist where they are examined for age and condition.

Here, linings are hand-cleaned and the fur is tumble-treated and glazed to replace any essential oils lost during wear. Hairs are electrified, lifted, separated and returned to a uniform direction all at once maintaining the lustrous texture of your ahilya piece. When wet, fur should be dried immediately and should not be rubbed as to prevent damage to the natural fibres.

Repair

Eternal quality

If your scarf has been torn or pulled please contact ahilya. We can send it to dedicated darners who will re-weave into the damage. Prices vary depending on the extent of the work.

For more information on caring for your ahilya products, please do not hesitate to contact ahilya at contact@ahilya.com



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