India is home to handlooms. But there are very few designers who have explored its possibilities beyond garments. Raw Mango, established in 2008, is one of the homegrown labels which brings the beauty of handlooms not just in textiles but also extends it to objects and spaces, driving conversations around culture and politics through its unique brand storytelling.
After winning the hearts of the Indian audience for the last 18 years, Raw Mango is set to debut its Fall-Winter 2026 collection at London Fashion Week this year, emphasising the ‘India story’. “I think the world, and us, are coming to terms with the fact that we have a unique product offering and a unique story to tell. What I am going to showcase to the world is my India, and what I find beautiful,” says Raw Mango founder and textile designer Sanjay Garg, adding, “We have never been prescriptive about defining who our wearer is. I would hope that our designs cater to every type of woman from every part of the world. All we hope is that people adapt to wearing our creations in their own way, as they see fit.”
Often Raw Mango’s collections draw from colours, philosophy, and histories of India, questioning place and perspective through design. Each season, its collections are created in collaboration with artisans across Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, West Bengal, and Varanasi. The artisans meld their centuries-old skills to create a design aesthetic that is rooted in local histories yet is contemporary.
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Bringing the same design ethos to the London Fashion Week collection, Sanjay Garg says, “Raw Mango speaks to the unripe and imperfect idea of beauty; it is a part of an ongoing dialogue I have with myself, my curiosities.” He adds, “It’s a perspective that’s very much shaped by my personal expression, reflection on social issues, and our design philosophy. Everything from music, dance, food and textiles – the idea is to incorporate elements that gain meaning through history, culture and context in our design vocabulary across all mediums.”
The upcoming Raw Mango showcase will be presented by De Beers Group, featuring jewels by Forevermark. Commenting on the partnership, Shweta Harit, Global Senior Vice President at De Beers Group and CEO of Forevermark, said: “As the jewellery partner, Forevermark Diamond Jewellery shares Raw Mango’s belief in authenticity, craftsmanship and personal expression. Natural diamonds are rare creations of the earth, each inherently unique, much like the individuality Raw Mango celebrates through its design language. Presented by De Beers Group, this collaboration brings together heritage, provenance and contemporary creativity, where adornment becomes an extension of identity.”
Recently, Raw Mango also opened its first store in Kolkata, which stands apart for its rustic charm. Housed in a 20th-century Art Deco building, the store’s architecture naturally blends with the brand’s sensibilities of finding beauty in imperfections. Inside, one can find crooked angles of the house, the hard-earned patina where each “imperfection” makes the space rooted in slowness and permanence.
“We approached the space as an intersection between retail, gallery and the spirit of adda (আড্ডা), in the truest Bengali sense. It is a place where conversations begin and different minds meet. It is a place to explore garments and open-ended questions alike. Much like the city of Kolkata, Raw Mango does not announce itself grandly, but it also does not shy away from dialogue and reflection,” wrote the brand on its Instagram.
