India has dressed the world for centuries—not from centre stage, but as the quiet stylist working magic backstage. While Europe once strutted in chintz from Golconda and Coromandel, and Italy, France, and Japan continue spinning mulberry, tassar, and eri silk into high-fashion dreams, India was long treated as the artisan behind the curtain rather than the name on the label.
Today, the curtain has finally lifted. India’s handmade mastery is having its main-character moment. Global luxury houses can’t seem to take their eyes (or moodboards) off the country. From Alia Bhatt’s Gucci gown at Cannes 2025—decoded by many as a saree in disguise—to Louis Vuitton’s snakes-and-ladders set design for Men’s Spring/Summer 2026, to Prada’s leather sandals that turned out to be GI-tagged Kolhapuris, the world has been borrowing from India. And in today’s digital era, inspiration without credit quickly becomes a conversation about cultural appropriation.
What’s also fuelling this renewed fascination is India’s booming luxury market. According to Euromonitor International, India’s luxury goods sector is poised for 10% growth and is projected to reach US$12.1 billion in 2025, driven by rising affluence, rapid urbanisation, and a growing appetite for premium goods and experiences.
As India transitions from the world’s export engine to a bona fide luxury maker, homegrown designers are stepping forward—unapologetically world-class, materially innovative, and culturally confident. They’re crafting the new India luxury story for global audiences through runway debuts, international collaborations, experiential stores, and design experimentation. They’re not following anyone’s footsteps anymore; they’re leaving their own footprints.
Here are 10 such designers—emerging and established—who are shaping India’s global luxury narrative.
Rahul Mishra
Rahul Mishra isn’t just representing India on the global fashion map; he’s practically embroidering the map himself. As the first Indian designer invited to Paris Haute Couture Week—and a fixture since 2020—Mishra has consistently championed slow Indian luxury through immaculate floral appliqué, zardozi, and 3D embroidery that feel hand-spun by garden nymphs.
This year, global celebrity collaborations further cemented his place. Ariana Grande wore a custom emerald-and-pink sequin gown crafted with Law Roach, Priyanka Chopra Jonas dazzled in ruby red at the Johnnie Walker Blue Label’s party in London, and Cardi B stunned in a red corset gown at his Becoming Love showcase in Paris. Nora Fatehi wore an AFEW corseted dress that reimagined Madras checks into contemporary ready-to-wear. “With textiles like khadi or muslin, we’re not revisiting relics—we’re honouring living crafts,” Mishra told Outlook Luxe. “Back to the roots is a way of moving forward.”
Last year, he also opened a sprawling 7,500 sq. ft flagship in Mumbai’s Kala Ghoda—designed as a museum-like experience—and launched Aatman Living, a boutique hill stay in Nainital that extends his philosophy of conscious luxury.
Shantnu & Nikhil
Long before gender fluidity became a global trend, brothers Shantnu and Nikhil introduced an androgynous design language to Indian couture in 1999. Over two decades, their couture atelier has evolved into a multi-vertical maison offering prestige prêt, bridge-to-luxury, and red-carpet womenswear—defined by architectural details and fluid drapes.
In 2025, the maison carried the contemporary Indian luxury narrative across continents. From participating in The Big Egg Hunt at London’s Kew Gardens—celebrating creativity and conservation—to debuting their all-women’s couture line Armouré at Moscow Fashion Week, the year marked a turning point. Back home, they presented Velora at Lakmé Fashion Week in Delhi, again spotlighting women’s couture.
“Our most meaningful investment has been in global positioning,” says Shantnu. Nikhil adds, “Indian luxury is finally being recognised for its sophistication—design grounded in craft, elevated by intent. What’s taking Indian brands global is not new skill, but new self-belief.”
The maison aims to continue this transcontinental dialogue in 2026 through showcases and creative collaborations.
Abraham & Thakore
Since 1992, David Abraham, Rakesh Thakore, and later Kevin Nigli have defined a quiet and modern Indian sensibility. Their reinterpretations—from turning the salwar-kameez into coordinated three-piece sets to their 2010 cropped-and-belted sari, have influenced mainstream dressing. At Lakmé Fashion Week 2025, they revisited Indian staples with a contemporary twist, presenting dhotis and lungis in androgynous forms in their collection Warp and Weft.
“For years, India sought external validation,” the designers say. “But with global consumers valuing authenticity and provenance, homegrown luxury is stronger than ever.” With a textile-first approach, the brand has expanded into accessories, footwear, and home décor, strengthening its presence across flagship locations in Delhi, Mumbai, and Hyderabad.
Dhruv Kapoor
Since 2013, Delhi-based Dhruv Kapoor has been rewriting rules of gender through what he calls genderful tailoring—bringing masculine and feminine energies together in ensembles that oscillate between street-style and couture.
At Milan Fashion Week SS26, Kapoor unveiled Foundations & Futures, elevating humble Indian underlayers—vests, petticoats, bandhgalas—into global streetwear with confident theatricality. His vivid colour palette often draws from Vedic systems, where each hue corresponds to planetary rhythms and emotional resonance.
Kapoor believes Indian luxury has entered a new phase because designers have stopped seeking permission. “Indian luxury no longer translates itself for global audiences,” he says. “It speaks in its own language of craftsmanship, symbolism, and storytelling.” He plans to open his flagship in New Delhi and is planning for brand’s growth across China, Korea, Japan, and Russia—markets that deeply value narrative and cultural authenticity. “These regions aren’t just consumers,” he says. “They’re collaborators in shaping the next chapter of Indian luxury.”
Raw Mango by Sanjay Garg
Since 2008, Raw Mango has operated outside the gravitational pull of fashion weeks and seasonal calendars. Founder Sanjay Garg treats Indian textiles—Chanderi, Mashru, Varanasi brocades—not as tradition but as endless terrain for contemporary expression.
Raw Mango’s universe extends beyond clothing into atmospheric films, site-specific shoots, immersive events, and experiential spaces. Whether it’s staging a wedding in a South Delhi home (Garland, 2024), shooting in abandoned havelis (Once Upon A River, 2025), or situating AGAMA campaign among archaeological ruins in Allahabad, the brand tells stories that feel both archival and avant-garde.
“Our individuality comes from knowing India across its length, breadth, and depth,” says Garg. “India is a land of stories. If we don’t tell them to the world, who will?” The label’s cult following spans age, geography, and profession and its most anticipated moment is a new store in Kolkata.
Aisha Rao
Aisha Rao has made the improbable possible: she brought upcycling into bridal couture. Since debuting with her collections Amalgam and Razzmatazz in 2018, the Hyderabad-based designer has championed “upcycled purposeful luxury,” turning leftover textiles into maximalist appliqué masterpieces. Her signature upcycled lehengas have sparked an industry-wide shift toward repurposed organza, embellishment, and artisanal appliqué. She also revived paani ka chaader tissue in 2021, leading to its resurgence in mainstream fashion.
Rao has expanded into accessories and is exploring jewellery next. Her retail presence now includes Ambawatta in Mehrauli and global stockists across the UK, US, and Canada. Celebrities like Allu Arjun, Ayushmann Khurrana, Rashmika Mandanna, and Rakul Preet Singh have embraced her vibrant aesthetic. “In a world becoming visually homogeneous, India stands apart,” she says. “Every state has its own craft, drape, cuisine, language—making us endlessly discoverable. Our true strength lies in our soft power: textiles, artistry, and craft.”
Rimzim Dadu
Rimzim Dadu has long been a pioneer of engineered textiles, sculpting Indian silhouettes into futuristic forms. Her design vocabulary—material-first, architectural, and innovative—places her in conversation with global avant-garde icons like Iris van Herpen and Issey Miyake.
In 2025, she opened her 2,000 sq. ft Hyderabad store and unveiled Oxynn at India Couture Week. The collection reimagined Patola, Banjara craft, and Bandhani with sculpted cords, microbeads, metallic fragments, and wired mirrorwork inspired by Banjara embroidery.
“Oxynn validated that experimental couture has a strong place in Indian luxury,” she says. “We’re recognising craft as an intellectual asset, not a limitation.” Her next chapter includes expanding accessories—bags and shoes for men and women.
Anu Merton
Bihar-born Anu Merton—jewellery designer, stylist, and storyteller—is perhaps the internet’s favourite luxury jeweller. Her Instagram feed, curated under her signature #HandmadeInIndia, is a luminous love letter to India. One day she styles a paan choker as a haathphool; the next day she colour-matches a tourmaline necklace to Jaipur’s washed-pink walls. Mangoes, melons, litchis, terracotta courtyards—everything becomes a moodboard for jewellery that feels tactile and poetic.
Last year, she debuted at Lakmé Fashion Week with the Lakmé Bejewel Collection —blending beauty and handcrafted jewellery. “My inspiration always points me inward,” she says. “Inside who I am, where I come from, my culture. If there is something called a calling, #HandmadeInIndia is mine.”
Studio Renn
Founded in 2018 by Rahul and Roshni Jhaveri, Studio Renn challenges conventional jewellery aesthetics by questioning what preciousness can mean. Their experimentation ranges from acid-treated concrete paired with diamonds to sculpted wood set in gold, to counterfeit porcelain pearls juxtaposed with natural Keshi pearls.
Their On the Edge concrete ring won Best Hidden Gem at the Wallpaper Design Awards 2023. Since then, the brand has showcased at Gem Genève, The Couture Show, PAD London, India Art Fair, and most recently Nomad, Abu Dhabi.
Their Vadlo Torque necklace was also featured in Melanie Grant’s The Jewelry Book, spotlighting 300 pivotal contributors over 200 years. “India has long been a manufacturing hub,” says Roshni Jhaveri. “Now Indian brands are creators with strong design identities. The focus has shifted from traditional motifs to innovation rooted in an evolved, globally relevant Indian aesthetic.”
Kavya Potluri
If Schiaparelli is synonymous with anatomical couture and Boucheron with precious metals, Kavya Potluri is carving her own niche in demi-fine jewellery. Working with gold, silver, brass, and copper, the Hyderabad-based designer shapes sculptural pieces that blur the line between jewellery and wearable art.
From hair-bun accessories and nail harnesses to architectural ear cuffs and jewellery-as-eyewear, her creations are favourites among stylists, editors, and celebrities. Last year, her pieces adorned a host of actors including Shabana Azmi, Tabu and Vishal Jethwa.
“I love the challenge of bringing out an unusual level of beauty from base metals,” she says. “Every piece is handcrafted in-house with high finish, which is rare in demi-fine.” She believes the global spotlight on Indian luxury is the result of a shift. “We’re not just exporting craft—we’re exporting creativity. Indian design is no longer ‘inspired by’; it’s setting the standard,” says Potluri.
