Weaving The Future: How Indian Craft Became The New Luxury

When Isha Ambani Piramal stepped out in a custom Bandhani-inspired gown by Roberto Cavalli designed by creative director Fausto Puglisi at a recent gala, and Hollywood star Brad Pitt was spotted in a relaxed handspun shirt by Indian label 11.11, the message is clear—Indian crafts are being reborn, reclaimed and revived in India, and the world is taking notice. The new definition of couture is not just opulence, but dialogue with craft. Powered by a new wave of homegrown designers reviving heritage arts and crafts, tradition is being recast in modern silhouettes—proving that heritage is the new haute. Once reserved for traditional occasions, Ikat, Benarasi, Bandhani, Paithani, Chikankari, and Jamdani are now couture currency and are finding their pride of place in urban wardrobes.

Showstoppers Janhvi Kapoor & Sidharth Malhotra with Gaurav Gupta

Craft without borders

Labels such as 11.11, which has become a voice for sustainable Indian luxury, are reconnecting young India with its textile heritage through their usage of hand-spinning, handloom weaving, tie-dyeing and quilting. While Vaishali S—the first Indian woman to showcase at Paris Haute Couture Week— is driven to give the handloom tradition of India a global stage, and has made weaves like Chanderi and Jamdani a part of couture’s global vocabulary. Both represent a rising tide of designers who are recrafting Indian crafts for the modern consumers. That same spirit defines Punit Balana’s journey. Marking 10 years of his label with a show in Jaipur, he reimagined Rajasthani traditions like gota, coin embroidery and Chaandi Tille Ka Kaam into effortless silhouettes. From pre-draped lehengas to fuss-free Ghagri maxis, Balana’s work balances festive opulence with wearability. When Ananya Panday closed his festive 2025 show in a Gulabi Gulal lehenga embroidered with Chaandi Tille Ka Kaam—reimagined in feather-light silver sheet embroidery—it captured his vision of a new India: where heritage shines but never feels heavy.

Ananya Panday in Punit Balana’s Festive 2025 collection Amer

Weaves with new identities

Sanjay Garg, through Raw Mango, has stirred a cult following for minimalist saris and sharply cut separates that champions the idea that textiles themselves carry stories. By drawing on crafts like Chanderi, Mashru, Banarasi, Chikankari and Kantha, he has made handlooms relevant to a new generation. “Rather than the revival of textiles, it’s about imagining textile futures. At Raw Mango, the pallu becomes the blouse or we weave a Varanasi brocade with lycra on the handloom, in an attempt to imagine what a knit might look like. We continue to create new conversations within textile, tradition and identity, innovating on centuries-old skills to define a new aesthetic vocabulary,” he shares.

Palak Shah’s Ekaya Banaras, best known for giving Banarasi a modern twist, has collaborated with artists and designers to turn Banarasi into trench coats, dresses and suits. Her recent collection went a step further—bold cheetah spots and cowhide prints woven into Banarasi, proving animal prints don’t belong to Western fashion alone.

Raahi by Anita Dongre

Championing this wave of heritage revival, Anita Dongre has long established how traditional crafts can thrive in contemporary fashion. Having reintroduced Bandhani, Ajrakh, Banarasi and Pichhwai into her collections, she keeps the craft clusters engaged, while making heritage techniques aspirational for today’s consumer. Her bridal line Raahi paid homage to Gota Patti, Pichhwai, Badla, Bandhani and Banarasi, while Vaana extended the story through silks, chiffons and organza brought to life with hand-painted Pichhwai. “If you want to keep craft truly relevant, you need to reimagine it in contemporary silhouettes,” she shares.

Amit Aggarwal’s The Banarasi Edit

The futuristic edge

For designers like Aneeth Arora, Amit Aggarwal and Gaurav Gupta, craft is not static—it is a living vocabulary. Arora’s label Péro brings whimsy to Chanderi, Jamdani, Maheshwari and Mashru with crochet, beadwork and hand-painting, creating wearable fun staples that are craft-forward. Aggarwal experiments with metallic polymers and recycled materials alongside handwoven textiles, creating sculptural garments that push the conversation beyond fabric. His The Banarasi Edit marked a bold step in the realm of sustainable couture—reimagining pre-loved Banarasi saris into modern silhouettes.

Sari from Vaishali S’s latest collection Naad

Even for Gaurav Gupta, celebrated for his avant-garde, architectural drapes on red carpets worldwide, Indian crafts have underpinned his futuristic couture. From Beyoncé to Mindy Kaling, his sculptural gowns may look otherworldly, but are grounded in handwoven silks, Banarasi brocades, zardozi, and metallic thread work. His debut bridal collection, Quantum Entanglement, carried this vision forward by reviving brocades from Banaras. “It’s about reimagining heritage through the lens of the future. I balance this by drawing from ancient Indian textiles, weaves, and techniques, and translating them into sculptural forms. Whether it’s a sari-gown hybrid or lehengas with cosmic embroideries, the idea is to celebrate heritage while pushing design boundaries.”

Animal print sari from Palak X Ekaya

Crafts made visible

Today’s consumer values authenticity, provenance and cultural storytelling. A Banarasi trench coat from Ekaya, a Bandhani cape by Balana or an Anavila organza sari isn’t just fashion—it is identity. Social media and digital retail have accelerated this shift, making craft visible and aspirational. Indie labels such as Jodi, Okhai, Jaypore, Kaveri and Chandrima are reviving Indian craft as daily wear, while names like Anamika Khanna, Payal Singhal and Rimzim Dadu are pushing festive dressing into contemporary territory. In the evolving story of Indian couture, craft is not just the past—it is the future.