A brushstroke that became a boutique

TULI begins with a founder between three worlds: Shajiya Akhi has her roots in Bangladesh, grew up and studied in the United States — and lives in Germany today. Anyone who lives this way knows the ritual: before every wedding, every Eid, every celebration, the search for the right outfit begins. And anyone searching in the diaspora knows how that search tends to end — in blurry product photos, guessed sizes, weeks of waiting and the quiet worry whether anything will arrive at all.

In the US, that was frustrating. In Germany, she found, it was harder still: few reliable shops, little advice, hardly anyone who understands the clothing they sell. At some point the conclusion became unavoidable: if the shop we wish existed doesn't — we build it.

What we stand against

There is a kind of customer service we all know: the automated apology, the hold music, the shrugging “it is what it is”. Big brands have taught us to accept it as normal. We think it is a choice — and we choose otherwise.

At TULI you get real answers from a real person, honest photos and honestly measured size guides, shipping from Germany instead of surprises at customs — and when something goes wrong, we fix it. Not because a mission statement says so, but because we have stood on the other side too often ourselves. This should be the standard. Here, it is.

What we curate

Every piece in the shop is chosen personally by Shajiya: sarees, kameez and jewelry that respect craft and origin — from an easy everyday kameez to a Jamdani carrying two thousand years of Bengali weaving. Much is limited or one-of-a-kind; pieces marked pre-order can be reserved with a 50% deposit.

And because clothing carries stories, we tell them: in our Journal we write about the textile traditions of Bangladesh, India and Pakistan — well-researched, accessible, and with love for the detail.

Brush and loom

Our name holds two tools: the tuli, the paintbrush — and the loom, on which thread becomes cloth. Art and craft, colour and fibre, roots and care: that is what TULI stands for, and what our home online, tuliloom.com, stands for.