It seems like every 10 years, South Asian fashion inspires aesthetics in the West. At first, it was bindis at Coachella, now it’s a Gucci gown inspired by a saree or kohlapuris at Prada. The difference this time is scale. India’s luxury economy is expanding even as global demand cools post the Covid-19 pandemic, and moments like Mumbai’s NMACC gala and the Ambani wedding have turned a regional story into a global headline. Brands that once treated the subcontinent as mood-board fodder are now courting it in earnest.
Analysts see big numbers behind the hype. McKinsey’s State of Fashion: Luxury report forecasts India’s high-end market to grow roughly 15–20 per cent in 2025, powered by a sharp rise in ultra-high-net-worth households. Whereas the Indian UHNWI population is expected to grow by 50 per cent from 2023 to 2028, making it the fastest-growing UHNWI population globally. According to reports by Kearney, India’s luxury market is projected to approach $12 billion by 2028, overtaking most countries in the world. In short, demand—and disposable income—has caught up with cultural influence.
No wonder Galeries Lafayette is planting flagships in Delhi and Mumbai. Hermes has rolled out limited-edition saris; Jimmy Choo drops a Diwali capsule every year; Bulgari’s India-only Mangalsutra and kada bracelet campaign, fronted by Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Ayushmann Khurrana went viral.
There is no denying that South Asian influence itself has reached global runways. But that wouldn’t be possible without designers who continue to push the envelope. Sabyasachi has been a household name for 25 years, appearing at Milan Fashion Week 2004, New York Fashion Week 2006, and of course, India Fashion Week between 2002 to 2015. Collaborating with the likes of Christian Louboutin and H&M, the brand brought India’s rich history with luxurious textile work to the international stage on many instances.
Whereas Rahul Mishra became the first Indian haute couture designer at Paris Fashion Week, with his SS15 collection. Vaishali Shadangule, the first female couture designer to showcase at Paris Fashion Week, incorporates traditional handlooms into modern designs for the fashion-forward crowd. And Gaurav Gupta’s gravity-defying drapes regularly turn up on red carpets from Cannes to the Oscars.
New names keep the spotlight hot. Falguni Shane Peacock and Anamika Khanna—fresh off her sell-out H&M capsule—are, deservedly, receiving their flowers, as they become one of the most anticipated shows at Lakmé Fashion Week. And within cyberspace, indie brands created by the Indian diaspora are taking Gen Z by storm. Mirchi by Kim have gone viral for their whimsical bags created after childhood snacks, Lays and Kurkure.
Luxury houses are following the talent. Dior planted its 2023 Pre-Fall show on Mumbai’s Gateway of India, marrying zardozi, kantha and mirror work with classic French tailoring—and soon after named Bollywood’s Sonam Kapoor its first South-Asian global ambassador. Louis Vuitton followed with a recent SS26 Paris show steeped in Indian references, a live score co-composed by A. R. Rahman, elephant and palm motifs, and a Snakes-and-Ladders runway that nodded to the country’s wider cultural story, not just its textiles.
While some brands were straightforward, others were more subtle with their influence. At their recent menswear show, Prada released ‘Toe-Ring Sandals’ that closely resemble kolhapuris, a handmade slip-on that has existed for centuries in India. Whereas Loewe’s draped collection has trousers and jackets with a gathered draping that’s reminiscent of pleats seen in sarees and dhotis.
Beyond fashion, this influence also extends to the wider cultural feed. Bridgerton’s second season cast British-Indian sisters, Kate and Edwina Sharma as its leads, Diljit Dosanjh turned Coachella into a Punjabi singalong, and Ed Sheeran’s new single “Sapphire” features Bollywood singer Arijit Singh—and even a Punjabi verse from Sheeran himself. TikTok and Reels spin viral tutorials on bindis, bangles, maang tikkas and jhumkas. With a culture built on centuries of textile and craft mastery, South Asia’s influence was never a question of if—only when.
This article originally appears in Soigné Middle East’s second biannual print issue.
