Lifestyle Fashion

Way back in 2018, in the aftermath of the floods in Kochi, a group of stakeholders in the fashion industry got together for the sake of the weavers of Chendamangalam. It was Onam, most of the stock was soiled by flooding waters there was no avenue for sale. Almost eight years to the date, Kochi-based […]

Fashion is a part of our lives, we breathe it every day. Look around, and you’ll find garment stores everywhere: from small roadside stalls to giant malls, from local shops to global brands. Fashion never goes out of trend. But have you heard of the term fast fashion? Let’s find out what it means. What […]

Photograph from Amar Ramesh’s Dying Art series | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Who are you, what are you, where are you from? For designer Vivek Karunakaran, these questions go beyond identity. They are the foundation of Adayalam, meaning identity, his new cultural property. Set to debut at the Chettinad Heritage Festival this year, it is […]

“I would say my journey so far has been exciting, adventurous, and full of learning. It had its highs and lows, but every time I was low, I rose again stronger,” says jewellery designer Farah Khan Ali. Over the past two decades, Farah has carved out her own space in the world of fine jewellery, […]

As you wander the narrow lanes towards Ahilya Fort in Maheshwar, located around an hour and a half from Indore, countless shops beckon, their displays of “authentic” Maheshwari saris billowing outwards. Yet, beyond this spectacle lies a fascinating interplay between ancient tradition and the demands of a modern market. Maheshwar, known in ancient times as […]

Michael Kors as he brought his love of nature to urban New York City, for a celebrity-heavy Spring/Summer 2026 show at New York Fashion Week Thursday. The iconic designer likes to make his guests comfortable in his clothes and at his shows, so he turned an empty warehouse space into a cozy room inspired by […]

A nine-foot tall, 15-foot wide hand-drawn kalamkari wall panel, dyed in natural colours, dresses up Mamata Reddy’s workspace in Hyderabad. The wall panel features a rare combination of Shiva and Hanuman. Large images of the two deities are flanked by 16 four-inch horizontal panels bearing smaller pictorial narration of stories of Shiva and Hanuman, interspersed […]

A nose pin design of Mookuthi. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Certain ornaments carry more than just decorative value. For Chennai-based designer Sarath Selvanathan, the nose pin is one such piece. His brand, Mookuthi, which will showcase its jewellery at a pop-up in Visakhapatnam’s Aarna Boutique, has made the ornament the centrepiece of a contemporary […]

A view of the TimeVallée boutique in Chennai | Photo Credit: Dhruv Mehta How do you make the experience of buying a luxury watch, an immersive and memorable one? Through its third boutique in India and first in Chennai in collaboration with Art of Time, Swiss luxury watch multi-brand retail outlet TimeVallée aims to do […]

India’s fascination for headgear does not only extend to the socio-religious ambit with taqiyah, EXPLAIN taqiyah turbans or traditional Bengali topor, but also to the politico-cultural zeitgeist. Remember the famous Gandhi topi that made a comeback with social activist Anna Hazare’s 2011 hunger strike for The Lokpal Bill? The accessory came to define the sartorial […]

Last Wednesday, while packing for a flight to Dubai, I tossed the Financial Times magazine into my bag as something to read on the plane. It turned out to be the FT Sunday magazine, Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani looking back at me from the cover. A day later, in the middle of a photoshoot, […]

The quaint green village of Athimalaipattu, 14 km from Arani in Tamil Nadu, wakes up before sunrise. By dawn, the roads are alive with colour: long rows of silk threads stretched carefully from end to end, beaten gently to bring out their shine. Children run around, carrying ropes, sticks, and scissors, helping their weaver-parents with […]

She’s known today for her steel-wire saris but Rimzim Dadu started her career with models stomping out in mini dresses and lace-up men’s shoes. That said, she created her own textiles from day one. And while her debut at couture week is only a few years old, everybody agrees that couture is what she has […]

Gaurang Shah is tired of hearing people say ‘purane zamaane main… (in the good old times…)’, a phrase often tinged with nostalgia and disdain, when they discuss handwoven textiles and crafts. “There is so much to celebrate in the contemporary context,” says the Hyderabad-based textile designer, who has been working with craftspeople for three decades. […]

Designer Giorgio Armani was synonymous with modern Italian style and elegance. He combined the flair of the designer with the acumen of a businessman, running a company that turned over some 2.3 billion euros ($2.7 billion) a year. File | Photo Credit: Reuters Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani has died, the company said on Thursday […]

(L-R) Creations by Econic and a weave by Hosa Arambha, a revival project by the Yali Store in collaboration with The Registry of Sarees | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Next week, the 33rd edition of Vastrabharana — the annual exhibition of handcrafted textiles and jewellery — will commence in Bengaluru. Organised by The Crafts Council […]

Seated on the grasslands in remote hamlets, usually under the shade of a large tree, the Toda women of the Nilgiris engage in their art — a distinctive, Geotagged black and red embroidery — singing full-throated songs that talk of damp grass, warm sunlight, and mountain air. Deeply inspired by Nature, this intricate pukhoor (motif) […]

Rejani Vivek | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Rejani Vivek pulls out an embroidered Rani pink blouse from underneath a colourful assortment of tailored blouses at her boutique in Panampilly Nagar. “This can elevate even the simplest of saris,” she says, pointing to the filigree on the blouse. Her Padmanidhi Blouse Boutique is a passion project, […]

(Clockwise from left) Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor, co-owner of ARKS, poses with neon green and orange shades of Lay’s chips and sneakers; blue sneakers inspired by Lay’s Magic Masala and red shoes showcasing Lay’s Spanish Tomato Tango | Photo Credit: Special arrangement In the pop-culture directory of design-inspired collaborations between food and fashion, chips hold […]

Every stitch in Punit Balana’s creations is a proud paean to Rajasthan. The garments are shaped by memories, art, colours, music, culture and localities from the State that he calls home. Be it Bagru, Sanganer, or the buzzing chowks of Jaipur, all of them find representation in Punit’s collections. “Jaipur is where everything began. I […]

Rain has been cascading in plumes, only to pause just before the launch of designer Rahul Mishra’s largest maison in the country, in Mumbai, at Kala Ghoda district. On his way from Mumbai Airport to the new atelier, Rahul says that he had been looking for the perfect space for his flagship outlet before he […]

A pearl necklace at Aurus | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT Just in time for the year’s festive season, Aurus and Moi, the sister jewellery houses founded by Puja and Kunal Shah, will host The Collectibles in the city this weekend.  At the event, a limited-edition collection inspired by Gujarat’s beadwork traditions, ‘integrating glass beads with […]

When a minimalist brand launches in maximum city, you expect the contrast to jar.  After all, there is nothing minimalist about India. Luxury here typically envelopes you in sparkle, opulence, and chaotic colour. Yet, COS, known for its unapologetically practical aesthetic, manages to fit right in with its soon-to-be-launched Autumn/Winter collection, which is flamboyant with […]

The Armoire returns to Chennai with the milestone 10th edition of its much-loved pop-up, The Festive Edit. This one-day shopping experience brings together over 50 designers from across India, featuring a mix of Indian, Indo-western, and contemporary western wear — perfectly timed for the upcoming festive and wedding season. Stitch Stories, OFrida, Isha Sawhney, Studio Radical […]

Growing up in Jaipur, surrounded by the slow rhythms of a culturally rich city, artist Radhika Surana did not realise how deeply its textures and traditions were imprinting themselves on her. “The indigo blue which was all over the city, the culture of embroidery which I had at home, the relaxed slow life of a […]

India and its vibrant aesthetic are everywhere right now. From the V&A’s nod to Indian royalty in its Cartier show, to design fairs such as PAD (Pavilion of Art and Design), TEFAF (The European Fine Art Foundation) and Frieze, where Indian art, jewellery and design have a stronghold. In department stores — Harrods, Selfridges, Bergdorf […]

There is a certain mystery that shrouds the universe of Sabyasachi, a brand often spoken about in revered tones. Its clothes, the epitome of aspiration for Indian brides across the globe. Its jewellery, wooing the who’s who of the world at retail meccas like Harrods and Bergdorf Goodman. Its stores, transportive and evocative of a […]

At his first-ever bridal couture show, held at Mumbai’s Jio World Convention Centre last night, Gaurav Gupta wanted us to believe in love. And why not? It is the most marketable emotion during India’s festive-to-weddding season, which kicks off in just a few weeks and then barrels through to next summer. The designer even skipped […]

Born and raised in Fatehpur in Uttar Pradesh, Radhesh Agrahari’s initiative, Golden Feathers, was born out of a classroom project. In 2011, while Radhesh was a student at the Indian Institute of Crafts and Design in Jaipur, he had to create something new out of waste for a project. “I was away for three days […]

A chintz panel at the studio | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement In a quiet studio in Adyar, a small but dedicated team is piecing together what history has almost let slip away — India’s once-thriving Coromandel textile traditions. At Aksh Weaves and Crafts, textile reconstruction is not a nostalgic exercise, but a painstaking act of […]

“A special sari for a special day,” says Hyderabad-based Gajam Narmada, gently unfolding a handloom ikat silk sari in a striking cream, offset by a red border. Narmada, who runs Narmada Handlooms in Kothapet , has chosen this piece to wear on August 7, when she will receive the prestigious Sant Kabir National Handloom Award […]

Five years ago, Nivedita Ganeshram launched Madras Finds as a platform to celebrate Chennai’s homegrown artists, chefs, and makers. To commemorate Madras Day 2025, the digital strategist is hosting Vizha, a two-day pop-up this weekend. “Vizha was born from a deeply personal place,” says Nivedita. A product by The Puzzlist | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement […]

A shopkeeper shows Kolhapuri sandals to a customer at shop in Mumbai. File. | Photo Credit: AP Days after the Prada controversy about Kolhapuri chappals, and after a business body from Maharashtra engaged in discussion with Prada, Maharashtra-based LIDCOM and Karnataka-based LIDKAR have reaffirmed their ownership of the Geographical Indication (GI) tag for Kolhapuri chappals. […]

The body is first taught obedience through fabric. The swaddle before speech, the school uniform before dissent, shame before skin. Clothing is behavioural before — and because — it is cultural. In Volume IV: Truths, Half-Truths, Half-Lies, Lies, Kolkata-based artist and fashion designer Kallol Datta invites us to look at clothing as a long and loaded […]

Weftscapes blends materials like metal wires, electric cables, chiffon scraps, and bullion threads into the fabric | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Six years ago, an art exhibition spotlighting India’s jamdani weave debuted at Serendipity Arts Festival in Goa. Helmed by textile artist Bappaditya Biswas, the exhibition titled New Horizons: Weftscapes, reimagined the weave with a […]

At the age of 13, Varshne B knew she wanted to be a fashion designer. After graduating from NIFT Chennai in 2020, Varshne went on to work with brands like Biskit and Capsul. “I became increasingly aware of the amount of waste the industry generates. I also noticed the gap between consciously-crafted products and innovative, […]

Models showcase handwoven, hand-spun clothes | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Chennai-based social enterprise Tula India is making its way to Hyderabad with a new venture, The Conscious Living Store (TCLS). Opening on August 1 in Kukatpally, the 350 sq. ft. store brings together organic groceries and handmade clothing, all in line with Tula’s philosophy of […]

Outfits from Farak’s Spring Summer 25 drop | Photo Credit: Kewal Chholak For 26-year-old Rishabh Kumar, venturing into the world of fashion was not part of his life plan. A national-level athlete (football, long jump, cricket, and triple jump), Rishabh returned to India in 2016 after his schooling in Dubai, and had to drop out […]

Textile designer Sanjay Garg and jewellery designer Hanut Singh will present Incandescent 2.0, a meeting point of art, textiles and jewellery, in collaboration with the India Art Fair. Sanjay’s flagship store Raw Mango will host an all-day exhibition curated by Belgian designer and stylist, Isla Maria Van Damme. The first edition of Incandescent was held […]

Within the elegant confines of the Oberoi’s ballroom, under the soft glow of lights and the scent of fresh mogra, 95 looks — rich with chikankari, resham, kasheedakari, shaded threadwork, jaali, and zardozi — narrate the story of artisanal techniques. Tarun Tahiliani’s collection Quintessence, showcased as part of India Couture Week, is a quiet celebration […]

Senthera’s Make Love collection comprises a shower gel, body cream and an exfoliating scrub | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement The first scent that Margarita Kuritsyna remembers putting on at her childhood home in Ukraine, is a tropical scent called Pacific Paradise. The bottle, pink and blue in colour, often brought with it a fruity and […]

Development of newer fabrics and garment construction, use of innovative materials, and incorporation of AI and Meta are changing the fashion industry | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockPhoto Fashion is one of the industries that has been continuously evolving and adapting to technological and industrial advancements. The study of fashion not only offers an outlet for […]

Last Sunday, 100 elephants entered Beverly Hills’ palm-lined streets, home to many Hollywood stars. No one backed away in fear, though — because the large beasts were handcrafted from the invasive Lantana camara plant, and travelled on trucks decorated with vibrant Indian lorry art. It was the last leg of The Great Elephant Migration, a 5,000-mile installation art […]

After its last year’s collaboration with Japan’s iconic brand Hello Kitty, Péro, a 15-year-old Indian fashion label by designer Aneeth Arora, has now teamed up with British luxury department store and brand Liberty London for its spring-summer capsule 2025. Titled Flowers Flower, the collection is deeply personal to Aneeth and reflects her love for legacy.  […]

“Oon mera naam hai, oon oon oon; meri kahani zara sun sun sun.” (My name in Oon, oon oon oon; listen to my story.) A tuft of raw, tangled black Deccani wool with tiny arms and a hole for a mouth bounces across the screen, narrating the story of neglect that desi oon has suffered […]

A worker polishes the kolhapuri chappals at his shop in Chappal market in Kolhapur. | Photo Credit: Emmanual Yogini A technical team of the global fashion brand Prada visited the Kolhapuri chappal artisans and the famous chappal market of Kolhapur during their two-day visit, which ended on Wednesday (July 16, 2025). They took samples of […]

The Prada technical team visited Inga leather work, LIDCOM (Sant Rohidas Leather Industries & Charmakar Development Corporation Limited) centre, Karakari Leather works, Kolhapuri chappal women artisans’ cluster at Kagal, Sunil Lokare and Rohit Gavali’s production facilities. | Photo Credit: Special arrangement A technical team of global fashion brand Prada visited the Kolhapuri chappal artisans and […]

A man artisan does work on Kolhapuri at his residence in Kolhapur. File | Photo Credit: The Hindu Responding to the backlash against its recent appropriation of Kolhapur’s iconic ‘chappals’, Italian luxury fashion house Prada intends to launch a limited edition of ‘Made in India’ leather sandals, inspired by and in partnership with local artisans, […]

Spotting an international personality in Indian designer wear is not unprecedented. But it was more than just a fashion statement when Brad Pitt recently wore a handcrafted shirt — designed by Indian fashion label 11.11/eleven eleven — created in a traditional Tangaliya weave in his Formula One movie, FI. Brad Pitt in the Tangaliya shirt […]

Recently, Kolhapuri chappals made global headlines when Italian luxury brand Prada released a pair of sandals that closely resembled the traditional Kolhapuri design — but priced them at several hundred dollars. This sparked a controversy, with many labelling it cultural appropriation and criticising the brand for the lack of acknowledgement of the artisans or the […]

For Shantaram Narayan Sonavane, 50, from the Dhor community, the day begins early. By 7.30 a.m., he is at his tannery in Dhor gali (lane) in Ichalkaranji city, around 30 kilometres from Kolhapur in Maharashtra. It is at this time that he receives the animal hide from a government-approved slaughterhouse. The buffalo hide is steeped in a […]

What comes to mind when you think of modest clothing options in Kerala? Black abayas? Burqas? This may have been the scene a decade ago, but now, a number of modest clothing stores/boutiques have opened in the city, offering everything from full-sleeve denim gowns to oversized shirts and long skirts. “Five years ago, it was […]

When Italian luxury house Prada recently unveiled its version of the Kolhapuri chappal, Indian social media was quick to react. Accusations of cultural appropriation and erasure followed, accompanied by demands for proper attribution and a wider call to “decolonise fashion”. But what if the cultural erasure didn’t start with Prada, or with the West? What […]

Rimzim Dadu with guests dressed in her designs at the launch of Rimzim Dadu store in Hyderabad | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement “Hyderabad understands my madness,” says Delhi-based designer Rimzim Dadu at the launch of her new flagship store in the city. Dressed in one of her own creations — a black sleeveless pantsuit paired […]

Kolhapuri chappals are a GI-tagged product | Photo Credit: ROY CHOWDHURY A Now that the Prada-Kolhapur chappal issue has been debated over a week, what is the real issue enraging Indians? India is home to approximately 3,000 indigenous crafts, and while this is something to be proud of, the hard truth is a majority of […]

In a quiet corner of Andhra Pradesh, where looms hum stories of history and heritage, the humble yet regal Kuppadam saree continues to hold its ground as a symbol of tradition, artistry and evolving identity. While most eyes turn to the celebrated Kanjeevarams or the intricate Banarasis, the Kuppadam saree tells its own tale, one […]

The most eagerly anticipated show of Paris Fashion Week landed quietly but assuredly with Jonathan Anderson’s debut for Dior Homme. Front-row seats at the Hôtel National des Invalides were filled by fashion powerhouses and cultural icons alike: Rihanna and A$AP Rocky, Sabrina Carpenter, and Daniel Craig, all lending star wattage to the occasion. After being […]

After a controversy triggered by the use of Kolhapuri chappals in a collection, Italian luxury fashion brand Prada has acknowledged the connection, saying the design is “inspired” by the Indian handcrafted footwear. The Italian house, however, said that sandals featured in the men’s 2026 fashion show are still at the design stage and none of […]

On June 25, as India’s GI-tagged Kolhapuri chappal featured in Prada’s Spring/Summer 2026 show in Milan, it made headlines for all the wrong reasons. Where was the credit? In Maharashtra’s Kolhapur, over 10,000 artisan families have been crafting these chappals by hand for generations. Famous for their use of vegetable-tanned leather, intricate braiding techniques of […]

Vogue editor Anna Wintour was widely seen as the inspiration behind “The Devil Wears Prada”, a hit 2003 novel and 2006 movie, in which the role of a tyrannical magazine editor was played by Meryl Streep. File | Photo Credit: AP Magazine legend Anna Wintour is stepping down as editor of fashion bible U.S. Vogue after […]

Pattachitra panels @ Kunsquad Pallabi Sarangi, Priyabrata Mohapatra and Abhishek Deo might have different backgrounds (fashion and business respectively) but joined forces in 2021 to launch Kunsquad. “We shared this hunger to create something that felt personal, experimental, and expressive. What began as casual brainstorming slowly turned into moodboards, samples, ideas scribbled on tissue papers,” […]

People look at the collectable designer art toy Labubu at a Pop Mart pop-up store in Siam Centre shopping mall in Bangkok, Thailand. | Photo Credit: AFP From news about Rohit Sharma’s Labubu collection to the Korean popstar Lisa flaunting a certain small little doll, the Labubu dolls have taken the internet by storm. What […]

Duchess Kumari blends Indian textiles with contemporary design elements such as bows, polka dots, and pearls | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement It was during the shoot for Love Story of 90’s, that former Miss Universe India contestant Divita Rai and her co-star actor Adhyayan Suman shared their common desire to venture into the world of […]

A chance encounter with a small, raw rendering of a khatwa appliqué, a traditional art form from Bihar and Jharkhand, at a Crafts Council exhibition in New Delhi drew designer Anavila Misra to Dumka in Jharkhand, and a group of young girls who had trained in the embroidery. Bringing them into her fold and refining their craft […]

Ensembles from Love by Kaveri and Sriparna Ray’s Bhomra Design Co | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement A sense of déjà vu tends to set in when pop-up exhibitions crop up every other week at cultural spaces and stores across Hyderabad. To stand out, a curation must offer products that are not easily found online or […]

Browse. Add to cart. Pay. While this has been the common way of shopping online, a new app aims to change this for women. Slayrobe, helmed by Delhi-based Pooja Lalwani, who has led fashion tech initiatives at Google, Tommy Hilfiger, and Calvin Klein in the past, is aimed at being a “structured, intelligent styling platform […]

Miss World 2025 Opal Suchata Chuangsri and the continental winners along with Telangana governor Jishnu Dev Varma, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and other ministers at Raj Bhavan on Telangana Formation Day. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement The stately Raj Bhavan transformed into a vibrant celebration venue on Monday evening as Telangana marked its Formation […]

Miss World 2025 contestants at the KIMS Hospitals and the KIMS-Ushalakshmi Centre for Breast Diseases as part of a medical tourism tour in Hyderabad on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: SIDDHANT THAKUR Five contestants of the Miss World 2025 pageant, including Miss India Nandini Gupta, visited KIMS Hospitals and the KIMS-Ushalakshmi Centre for Breast Diseases here […]

The grand finale of the Miss World 2025 is set to take place on May 31 at the Hitex Convention Centre in Hyderabad, marking the culmination of a month-long celebration of beauty, purpose and global culture. With the heritage and cultural tour of Telangana coming to an end, the contestants are now gearing up for […]

Miss Thailand Opal Suchata Chuangsri crowned Miss World 2025 at the 72nd edition of the Miss World pageant held at the HITEX Exhibition Centre in Hyderabad. | Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL In a moment that marks both personal triumph and national pride, Thailand clinched its first-ever Miss World crown on May 31. Standing radiant under […]

Miss World 2025 contestants during an event in Hyderabad. File. | Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL Hyderabad rolled out the red carpet for the grand finale of the 72nd Miss World pageant as the contestants and guests started trooping in at 5 p.m. on Saturday (May 31, 2025), ahead of the main event, which began at […]

Miss Thailand Opal Suchata Chuangsri was crowned Miss World 2025 at the 72nd edition of the Miss World pageant at the HITEX Exhibition Centre in Hyderabad, Telangana on Saturday. The winner was crowned by Miss World 2024 Krystyna Pyszková, marking the culmination of weeks of cultural exchange, competition and celebration. Miss Thailand Opal Suchata Chuangsri […]

(From left) Miss India Nandini Gupta with Miss Indonesia Monica Kezia Sembiring, winner of the Talent round of Miss World 2025, Issie Princesse, Miss Cameroon and second-place winner, and Chiara Esposito, Miss Italy (third place), at Shilpakala Vedika in Hyderabad on Thursday. | Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL In a celebration of global culture and artistic […]

An outfit from the monochrome collection | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement The recently-concluded 2025 Met Gala themed on Tailored for You saw a storm of black and white designer wear on the blue carpet. Think Jeremy Allen White’s three-piece black pinstripe Louis Vuitton suit, and Demi Moore’s black-and-white striped dress by Thom Browne. Closer home, […]

Miss World 2025 contestantsn during a charity event in Hyderabad on May 28, 2025. | Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL After a month-long journey through Telangana’s rich culture, heritage, and a series of competitions featuring 108 beauty queens from around the globe, Miss World 2025 will culminate in a grand finale on Saturday, May 31. The […]

Designer Roma Narsinghani’s jewels are studded with beads — emerald greens, ruby reds, and pearly whites. What makes them unique is that they are crafted from algae, an innovation by the U.S.-based material researcher Aradhita Parasrampuria. “Their eco-friendly nature and organic appeal have made them a core part of our approach and provide a unique […]

Demonstrating authentic kalamkari technique; Nikita Shah | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Buying a handloom textile that uses a 3,000-year-old craft is akin to acquiring a work of art. Much like a painting or sculpture that holds value for its authenticity, a handmade fabric is worth every rupee spent, says Nikita Shah, a Brooklyn-based independent researcher […]

Miss World 2025 contestants hand kits to orphaned children during a charity event in Hyderabad on Wednesday. | Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL Miss World 2025 contestants hand kits to orphaned children during a charity event in Hyderabad on Wednesday. | Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL In a display of compassion and solidarity, more than 200 orphaned […]

Vir Das. File. | Photo Credit: Thulasi Kakkat Comedian Vir Das took to social media to call out film personalities who expressed displeasure over influencers walking the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival. In a note he posted on X and Instagram, he shared that he understood the appeal and eyeballs walking on a […]

Miss World Organisation CEO Julia Morley in an interview with The Hindu in Hyderabad on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: SIDDHANT THAKUR With just days to go before the Miss World 2025 finale in Hyderabad, Miss World Organisation CEO Julia Morley is calm but alert. The pageant has come under an unsavoury spotlight following a controversy […]

It is not often that the dream to start one’s own venture, when still in college, comes true. For college mates-turned-business partners Shaoni Ray and Sahil Meenia, it is quite the opposite. While studying at National Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi, the duo found themselves interning in Kolkata (at Shaoni’s mother’s boutique, Warp and […]

Miss World 2025 contestants along with philanthropist Sudha Reddy at the Beauty with a Purpose gala in Hyderabad on Monday evening. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement The spirit of beauty, philanthropy, and culture came together in splendid harmony on Monday evening as 108 contestants of Miss World 2025 were hosted at the ‘Beauty with a […]

Miss England 2024 Milla Magee during the arrival at Hyderabad for Miss World 2025. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement File picture of Miss England Milla Magee clicked on May 14, 2025, during the Miss World 2025 contestants’ visit to Ramappa Temple, Telangana. | Photo Credit: SIDDHANT THAKUR Miss England 2024 Milla Magee has withdrawn from […]

Miss England Milla Magee | Photo Credit: SIDDHANT THAKUR The allegations made by Miss England 2024 Milla Magee, in an interview following her abrupt exit from the ongoing Miss World 2025 pageant in Hyderabad, are completely baseless and lack even one percent of truth, according to Telangana Special Chief Secretary Jayesh Ranjan, who conducted an […]

Alia Bhatt attends the closing ceremony red carpet at the 78th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 24, 2025 in Cannes, France. | Photo Credit: Getty Images After bringing vintage drama in a Schiaparelli cream gown on her Cannes red carpet debut, Alia Bhatt attended the closing ceremony of the 78th […]

(From left to right) Miss Martinique Aurélie Joachim, Miss Namibia Selma Kamanya, Miss Ireland Jasmine Gerhardt and Miss India Nandini Gupta. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Miss India Nandini Gupta emerged as one of the four continental winners in the Top Model Challenge of Miss World 2025, held at Trident Hotel in Hyderabad on Saturday […]

Indian summers are predictable. But your wardrobe does not necessarily have to be. With flowy silhouettes, comfortable fabrics, vibrant colours and holiday prints, designers are making summer dressing fun. The inspiration is diverse — from tropical countries and candy colours to hints of nostalgia. In a country where the temperature hovers in the late 30s for […]

Over a decade ago, Dhan Mill compound, a former warehouse in New Delhi’s Chattarpur, reopened to the public as a luxury retail hotspot. Now home to over 65 boutiques, the fashion destination’s latest entrant is apparel label Studio Medium’s debut physical store. Helmed by designers Riddhi Jain and Dhruv Satija, the brand’s first physical store […]

A salad spread at Trident Hyderabad | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement As Hyderabad, Telangana, plays host to the Miss World 2025 pageant, we cannot help but wonder: what is on the menu for the 108 contestants? Are they nibbling on salads, or trying our local idli, dosa, and vada? To find out, we visit Trident […]

As the Miss World 2025 festival dazzles Telangana with its international glamour, the 72nd edition of the pageant has reached a milestone with the announcement of the 24 finalists for the Talent competition to be held on Friday. Among those selected is Miss India Nandini Gupta. The finalists were chosen after a series of internal […]

The Preloved Co store in Halasuru | Photo Credit: Special arrangement Co-founded by Bengaluru-based Mariam Begg and Meghna Khanna, the Preloved Co is a clothing thrift store at Halasuru, Bengaluru, that raises funds for different NGOs and social organisations. The Preloved Co. also aims for sustainability by taking in used clothes in good condition from […]

In Netflix’s The Royals, it is not just the palaces and politics doing the talking — it is also the jewellery. While the show plays fast and loose with plot, its styling leans into Jaipur’s royal past, using jewellery to quietly hint at power, legacy, and shifting identities. What makes the jewellery in The Royals […]

Vino Supraja with the award | Photo Credit: special arrangement “For somebody who is from the small town of Vandavasi; who did her schooling in a Government school; and had a lot of insecurities about speaking English; to go to the British Parliament and talk about our culture, was a surreal, happy moment,” says designer […]

The carpet at the Met Gala 2025 Every year, the Met Gala’s carpet goes through its iterations, metamorphosing each time with a new theme. In 2023, one saw a stunning off-white fabric, to be a canvas for the theme of the year: Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty. In 2025, the red carpet took on a […]

Daily Quiz | On the Met Gala Met Gala Chair Anna Wintour, Met Gala Co-Chair Colman Domingo, and Met Gala Co-Chair Lewis Hamilton pose during the Met Gala in New York U.S., May 5, 2025. START THE QUIZ 1 / 6 | Let’s start with an easy one. What was the gala called before? 2 […]

The carpet at the Met Gala 2025 Every year, the Met Gala’s carpet goes through its iterations, metamorphosing each time with a new theme. In 2023, one saw a stunning off-white fabric, to be a canvas for the theme of the year: Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty. In 2025, the red carpet took on a […]

Shah Rukh Khan | Photo Credit: @poojadadlani02/Instagram The stage is set for the Met Gala, one of the grandest events in the world of fashion. This year’s edition of the Met Gala is undoubtedly set to attract attention from India like never before. Indian stars Kiara Advani, Diljit Dosanjh and Priyanka Chopra are set to […]

KL Rahul plans to bring in sporty detailing and a special capsule collection | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement After Italian athletes such as basketball player Danilo Gallinari, swimming champion Nicolò Martinenghi, and former Formula 1 driver Antonio Giovinazzi, Italian luxury apparel brand Paul & Shark has a new, more relatable global brand ambassador for its […]

A model in a creation by Anju Modi For designer Anju Modi, every time she visits Chennai, it feels like homecoming. When she started her eponymous label in 1990, Madras was her “epicentre” for all things fabric-related. “This was my base when I used to go to nearby villages, towns and cities like Salem, Coimbatore, […]

There was a time when mud homes were limited to villages. Over the last few years, designers and consumers have found fancy in the simple material and its many structural qualities. Be it Mumbai’s latest bistro Zeki, the 2,000 sq.ft. home built by Bhoomija Creations in Kerala, or the more recent, Tiny Farm Lab in […]

There was a time when mud homes were limited to villages. Over the last few years, designers and consumers have found fancy in the simple material and its many structural qualities. Be it Mumbai’s latest bistro Zeki, the 2,000 sq.ft. home built by Bhoomija Creations in Kerala, or the more recent, Tiny Farm Lab in […]

A model in a creation by Anju Modi For designer Anju Modi, every time she visits Chennai, it feels like homecoming. When she started her eponymous label in 1990, Madras was her “epicentre” for all things fabric-related. “This was my base when I used to go to nearby villages, towns and cities like Salem, Coimbatore, […]

Somewhere between the structural symmetry and textural harmony, which define the obvious creative arch of Mumbai-based fashion designer Payal Khandwala’s latest spring-summer collection, there lies the quiet world of subtle details. Released under the designer’s eponymous label, the untitled collection has been assigned to the chronological number of the edits that Payal has curated till […]

Shah Rukh Khan | Photo Credit: @poojadadlani02/Instagram King Khan’s grand Met Gala debut is official! After months of speculation, it has been confirmed that Shah Rukh Khan will make a historical debut at this year’s Met Gala. The Bollywood superstar will don a Sabyasachi ensemble at the event, set to be held at the iconic […]

Mutualism | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Imagine transforming everyday fabrics into unusual and craft-oriented pieces through intricate textures and a thoughtful approach towards design, where even leftover fabrics find new life. That is the essence of ILK, a design label started by two friends over a decade ago. Shikha Grover and Vinita Adhikari, who discovered […]

Inside the new store | Photo Credit: S.Thiru With the unveiling of their palatial new store (at approximately 3,000 square feet) at Jio World Plaza, Mumbai, designer duo Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla bring more than couture to the table — they present a theatrical, immersive experience rooted in heritage, maximalism and a contemporary point […]

Late in the 1990s, luxury hotels in Chennai realised that there was a slight inflection in the tides. Although exotic and understandably enticing, au gratins and paneer butter masala bowls were no longer making the cut. Tourists who were visiting the city wanted to taste authentic South Indian fare — the parotta and salna kind. […]

Ananya Panday | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement French luxury brand Chanel on Wednesday (April 16) named Bollywood star Ananya Panday as its first-ever brand ambassador from India. This comes after Ananya made her presence felt at the Chanel Spring/Summer 2025 show in Paris. A star who is best known for her performances in films such […]

The recently concluded fourth edition of Watches and Wonders (formerly Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie), an annual fair that showcases luxury watches by top brands witnessed a record attendance of over 55,000 visitors, including 1,600 journalists. Held in early April in Geneva, at Palexpo, a 77,000-square-metre convention centre near the airport, the event hosted […]

Gauravi Kumari and Vivek Sahni | Photo Credit: Special arrangement A pioneer in bottled Ayurvedic beauty, 22-year-old brand Kama Ayurveda has officially onboarded Gauravi Kumari, from the erstwhile royal family of Jaipur, as its brand ambassador. Announced in Mumbai at an immersive brand experience in early April — complete with gajras for entry wristbands, Ayurvedic […]

Global pop icon Shakira chose a sculptural Lunar Blue Wolf Gown for her maiden performance at the Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour 2025 in Rio de Janeiro, which marks her feisty return to the stage after seven years. The Colombian singer’s outfit, designed by Gaurav Gupta, featured a custom-molded metallic breastplate adorned with an […]

All of the women in Iranian model Azadeh’s family have had nose surgeries, each feeling the pressure to conform with Western beauty standards in a country where female bodies are heavily policed. To Ms. Azadeh, smoothing out the bump in what Iranians would call the “Persian nose” she was born with proved a lucrative investment. […]

Last week marked 25 years of fashion weeks in India, and that would include Mumbai’s Bollywood powered Lakmé Fashion Week (LFW) and Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) supported Delhi Fashion Week. Just for comparison: Paris is in its 52nd year, Milan in its 66th, and New York, in its current format, is in the […]

The late Dame Vivienne Westwood, the British designer who dragged punk and new-wave fashion into the mainstream in the 1970s, once quipped, “Popular culture is a contradiction in terms. If it’s popular, it’s not culture.” Her disdain for conformity and her love for rebellion were the hallmarks of a career that redefined style as a […]

On the crossroads where street fashion meets cricket, clothing brand HUEMN has launched a collection that charts a new trend in the realm of athleisure with its nuanced yet functional approach towards design. The brand, which is known to have collaborated with beverage and automobile companies, also artists, has now teamed up with ace cricketer […]

Kareena Kapoor arrives in Manish Malhotra costume for the Gala dinner at Lakmé Fashion Week 2025 on March 30, 2025 in Mumbai, India. | Photo Credit: Getty Images Bollywood star Kareena Kapoor Khan says she has walked down the ramp many times, but the one when she was pregnant with her first child Taimur Ali […]

In its 25th year, the Lakmé Fashion Week 2025, in partnership with the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) was less about spectacle and more about sensibility. Theatrics took a backseat to thoughtfulness, as designers re-evaluated what fashion means in a climate of change — climatic, cultural, and consumer-driven. There was no singular aesthetic dominating […]

Designers Zaid Khatri, Amruta Vankar, Mubbasirah Khatri, Muskan Khatri, and Shakil Ahmed during the Design Craft Presents Artisan Designers of Somaiya Kala Vidya show in the 25th year of Lakmé Fashion Week 2025 at Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai | Photo Credit: Perfect Shadows / FDCI x Lakmé Fashion Week / RISE Worldwide Indian […]

Art-inspired handpainted image on a Quirkk India ensemble | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Mudit and Surbhi Kanoria’s fashion brand, Quirkk India, may be less than a year old, but it is already making waves with its eye-catching designs. Specialising in shirts, tunics, and trousers featuring a vibrant mix of hand-painted and printed imagery, the Varanasi-based […]

Delhi-based fashion designer Divyam Mehta’s new collection Still Waters | Photo Credit: Special arrangement With deliberate, calculated precision, Delhi-based fashion designer Divyam Mehta defines the inspiration behind his newly launched summer collection Still Waters. He borrows the collection’s design language from South Asian contemporary art, tribal rugs and nautical stripes, but manipulates its grammar to […]

Nail art has become Thiruvananthapuram’s latest fashion fix, and the trend shows no signs of fading. The city is home to several dedicated nail art studios. Many beauty salons have also introduced specialised nail makeover sections, catering to the growing demand. The customer base spans all ages, from teenagers to people in their seventies.  | […]

The Toda threads and jamakalam revowen showcase by FICCI FLO | Photo Credit: R Ravindran India’s rich array of crafts and the artisans behind it all  have countless stories to weave.  Take P Sakthivel from Bhavani near Erode, for instance. He is the third generation from his family to be engaged in the art of […]

The Gwalior Fort inspired stole | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement   At Tvam Art and Design Studio, the latest line of saris, blouses, and Western wear designed by artist and designer Lakshmi Srinath showcases her perspective of colours, Nature, and heritage. Among her creations, a wrap and a shirt inspired by the Raneh Falls stand […]

Much before the time of sleek, fancy lunch bags with zips and pouches, the trusty, sturdy koodais of varying sizes were the standard lunch companions. The woven wire bags, that somehow never wore out despite being stuffed with large snack and lunch boxes and water bottles, stood the test of time and for many, multiple […]

The bamboo poles stop just short of grazing the walls of the 17th century structure that, for 10 days, housed Pampa: Textiles of Karnataka — presented by the Abheraj Baldota Foundation, in collaboration with Karnataka’s department of tourism and the Archaeological Survey of India. A careful matrix of similar poles, held together sturdily with jute ropes, criss-cross […]

Masaba Gupta | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement When Masaba Gupta designed her first piece of jewellery in 2018, the world was a different place. Then came the pandemic, lockdown, and — on a happier note — motherhood, last year. Six years on, in 2024, she designed her second collection of jewellery titled Identity Crisis, in […]

Gauri Khan, a GKD concept | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement In April 2022, when designers Falguni and Shane Peacock launched their flagship Hyderabad store — designed by Gauri Khan — it marked her entry into the city’s interior design scene. Nearly two years later, she expands her presence through a collaboration with Sussanne Khan’s The […]

Shivan and Narresh. Photo: shivanandnarresh.com The fashion brand behind Friday’s (March 7, 2025) fashion show in the tourist hotspot of Gulmarg in north Kashmir’s Baramulla on Monday (March 10, 2025) posted an apology, and several videos of the event were withdrawn from online platforms, evoking sharp reactions from political parties and religious bodies in Kashmir. […]

Deepika Padukone at the Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2025 show in Paris | Photo Credit: @deepikapadukone/Instagram Bollywood star Deepika Padukone, who is representing India at the Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2025 show in Paris, made a splash on social media on Monday, sharing a series of pictures that have left fans, including her actor-husband Ranveer Singh, stunned. […]

Bengaluru-based designer Geethica Naidu’s debut collection, Pashm, is an ode to the breathtaking landscapes and rich nomadic heritage of Ladakh. The use of pashmina offers a glimpse into the rich, traditional craftsmanship of the region. The collection was inspired by the uniqueness of the fibre and a deep curiosity to understand Pashmina’s origins and the life […]

Ananya Shanbhag, Suchitra Mattai, Adam J. Graves and Sajda Pathan pose on the red carpet during the Oscars arrivals at the 97th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles | Photo Credit: Reuters As actor Ananya Shanbhag shone on the 97th Oscars red carpet in her ivory and gold corset and skirt ensemble, designer Poornima Indrajith […]

I know how time consuming and exhausting it can be to scroll through endless windows searching for the right outfit at the right price. All those tabs open on the laptop — whether I am on Instagram, Amazon, Net-a-Porter or Ensemble’s website. This is compounded by the fact that what I click on fuels algorithms, […]

How do you like your heels? At Disobedience, they like it quirky — in steel, and engraved wood, and in the shape of spheres, alphabet, curves… Anita Soundar, the founder of the Chennai-based footwear label, wants to rewrite the rules of style. Luxury for her goes beyond leather. Her focus is on vegan, cruelty-free footwear. […]

Saris by Vidhi | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement The length and breadth of the country is home to a plethora of textiles; all indicative of a range of craftsmanship and skill. This has taken centrestage in the Crafts Council of India’s (CCI) showcases in Chennai over the last two decades. Tari — the loom, the […]

Weaving at Rehwa | Photo Credit: Oskar Hallgrimsson On a misty February afternoon, when the mammoth Jaipur Literature Festival was underway in another part of the city, I found designer Tahir Sultan busy working on a textile-based sculpture. We were at the boutique hotel, 28 Kothi, the venue for The Handloom School’s Threads of Tomorrow, a conclave […]

The gamchha can be a handkerchief, scarf, towel, sheet, garment, and even a blanket. The multipurpose chequered fabric synonymous with India’s working class is particularly noticeable in the warm and humid regions of East and Southeast Bangladesh, Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala where it is used to wipe sweat […]

The first Bershka store in Mumbai’s Phoenix Palladium | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement It is official — Bershka has landed in India. The Spanish high-street brand, part of the Inditex group (which also owns Zara, Massimo Dutti, and Pull&Bear), has opened its first Indian store in Mumbai at Phoenix Palladium. The 472-square-metre store offers a sleek, […]

Sussanne Khan unveils her flagship interior store The Charcoal Project in Hyderabad, in collaboration with Gauri Khan. | Photo Credit: Siddhant Thakur A day before the formal launch of The Charcoal Project (TCP) in Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad, Sussanne Khan and her team are adding the final touches to the space. Spread over six floors, it […]

Manish Malhotra at Dubai Fashion Week’s finale showcase | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement A parade of sequins, pearls and brocades on the runway; the likes of filmmaker Karan Johar, businessman Adar Poonawalla, and actor Urmila Matondkar on the front row; and supermodels Valery Kaufman and Adriana Lima opening and closing the show respectively — one […]

We are at the Kolkata Centre for Creativity where I am trying to sneak a picture of a block print of cultural icon Begum Akhtar on a blouse. Its wearer, Mamta Varma, runs Bhairavi’s Chikan in Lucknow, with 300 women who do fine chikankari embroidery. Noting my interest she reveals that the unusual blouse was made by […]

Judging from the twelve designers who showcased their work on Day one alone, there is going to be plenty to pick from for your wardrobe this year, from gender fluid palazzos to edgy street wear. Sustainability was a theme that ran through the collection, with designers emphasising on the value of slow fashion, and the […]

Saris at Chaasmi | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement If you are keen to know about the art, craft, culture and cuisine of erstwhile Indian royal families, this event brings a range of products crafted within palace studios. The Artisanal Tale, an event by design platform Royal Fables in association with Federation of Indian Chambers of […]

The weekend featured some of the 26 shows, from the country’s most established designers as well as bright new talent, including Rajesh Pratap Singh, JJ Valaya, Shantanu & Nikhil, Varun Bahl, Ashish N Soni, Bloni and more, showcasing innovative approaches and silhouettes to materials and techniques. This year also featured, for the first time, four […]

Tourism Secretary Smita Sabharwal during an interview on Telangana hosting Miss World 2025, in Hyderabad on Thursday. | Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL As Telangana prepares to host the 72nd edition of Miss World from May 4 to 31, the event is expected to place the State on the global tourism map. Smita Sabharwal, Principal Secretary […]

In an interview to The Hindu, Varsha Bharath talks about working on ‘Bad Girl’, developing the characters, the talk surrounding its teaser and working with Vetri Maaran and Anurag Kashyap. | Photo Credit: Thamodharan B Varsha Bharath interview: On ‘Bad Girl’, teaser feedback, being Vetri Maaran’s assistant director Director Varsha Bharath makes two declarations as […]

The Dubai-inspired collection features five grand pieces, each inspired by the region’s diverse aspects The dunes, mountains, architecture, water bodies, and razzmatazz of Dubai have found representation in a new form. These have been interpreted by couturier Gaurav Gupta in his quintessential style in a capsule collection that is a collaboration between him and Dubai […]

Two giant white terracotta lions stand guard at the doorway. As I step in, the late afternoon sun’s rays spin a swerving web of light from the chandelier above. Via a stairway leading down, a montage of bright red poppies on the side wall, I arrive at the landing, awash in crimson, more mirrors and […]

Men in tousled hair, kohl rimmed eyes, bold jewellery, and six pack abs wander around Jaipur’s graceful old Diggi Palace all day. We are at the influential FDCI India Men’s Weekend 2025 presented by Chivas Luxe Perfumes, for a glamorous peek into what men are wearing this year. While ramp looks may seem unattainable, and […]

When actor Keerthy Suresh was planning her wedding and brainstorming the ‘looks’ and trousseau with her stylists, Kochi-based bridal wear designer Tiya Neil Karikkassery’s name popped up. And as the team was ideating one of the outfits, jewellery came up for discussion. And if Tiya was designing the garment, who else but her mother, Asha […]

Designs by Payal Singhal | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Design has been an intrinsic part of Payal Singhal’s life, for as long as she can remember. Today, the Mumbai born-and-bred fashion designer is known for giving a contemporary spin to traditional Indian crafts with her eponymous label. Think leather strips used like gota patti, kurtas […]

Gaurav Jai Gupta’s work is inspired by the future. “I am not excited about the past. I am interested in what the future is going to be: perhaps a lot to do with experimentation, innovation, relevance. I associate the future with shine, glaze, and steel. It’s very space age,” he says. And this reflects in […]

Indie slow fashion brand myKynd elevates the Kerala mundu into something more than an off white every-day piece of garment. It plays with colour, fabric and style, coaxing the unassuming mundu to push its boundaries.  Unmesh Dasthakhir launched myKynd with his co-founder and “muse” Senna Rasool in September 2024 as a curated range of hand-woven, […]

Nestled near the riverside in Amsterdam, Iris van Herpen’s atelier is a reflection of her work in blending fashion with art, science, technology, and the natural world. We speak over a Zoom call in September, a few weeks after she wrapped up her couture show in Paris. The visionary Dutch couturier’s eyes settle on the […]

Once worn solely by dancers, the flamenco dress and its contemporary variations are now used by women in Spain for weddings, fairs, and receptions. Transforming the classic flamenco dress into a blouse and skirt or a pant suit is something that many designers like Jose Hidalgohave done successfully. We are in Seville, the largest city […]

An outfit from Ghazal | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Blending the beauty of poetry with fashion, WeaverStory kickstarted the year with a collection called Ghazal. Describing the range as a “celebration of grace, creativity and the quiet strength of a poet’s world,” CEO and founder of the apparel brand Nishant Malhotra says he was inspired […]

A few days ago, a video on Erode-based Jothi Speciality Papers — that highlighted its project crafting biodegradable mannequins — went viral on Instagram. If you have been wondering how this project came to be, here is the brand’s backstory. Mani P (centre) and his wife (fourth from left) with the team | Photo Credit: […]

The Indian Finished Leather Manufacturers and Exporters Association (IFLMEA) hosted the 38th Leather Fashion Show at ITC Grand Chola, Chennai. | Photo Credit: R. Ravindran In this year’s Union Budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a focus product scheme for the footwear and leather sectors. The Hindu reported that this will generate a turnover of […]

“There will never be another Gudda.” A sentiment expressed by all those who knew the legendary couturier Rohit Bal (fondly known as Gudda), echoed through the air, as I sat beneath a canopy of light and memory. The Blenders Pride Fashion Tour unfolded in Gurugram, not just as a showcase, but as an immersive celebration […]

Tarun Tahiliani is a name that needs no introduction, even if you are not familiar with the fashion world. With a career spanning almost three decades, his vision of blending Indian craftsmanship with Western aesthetics has paved the way for the Indian fashion industry to make its mark on a global platform. While it could […]

As a teen, Jasna Moidu would buy clothes that were a couple of sizes bigger. “Those always felt comfortable,” says Moidu, founder of Tree, a clothing label. Founded in 2016, the label which makes wearable designs, has, at its core, been working with handwoven cotton. In 2024, the 34-year-old founder-designer moved the label’s base to […]

Sabyasachi Mukherjee says he is proof that middle class idealism can be a superpower. Twenty five years after he made his debut on the Indian fashion scene, the Kolkata resident has five stores, one of them in New York’s West Village, with jewellery and leather goods, both extremely successful, added to his portfolio. His company […]

Snapshots from Chanel’s Spring Summer 25 Haute Couture Showcase | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Chanel marked its 110th year with a return to the historic Grand Palais for its Spring Summer 25 Haute Couture showcase, after four years. The design house, founded in 1915, has redefined and refined the art of haute couture, embodying core […]

At the 2024 Paris and Milan fashion weeks, the Hermès Kelly bag was a standout accessory among attendees. In Paris, Vogue editors even noted an “unplanned Kelly parade” as influencers and fashion journalists in the front row flaunted Kelly bags in different styles, sizes, and colours, showcasing its versatility. Model Kendall Jenner was also spotted in […]

One of the Patnulu spinners at work | Photo Credit: Chitrika On February 1 and 2, three master women spinners from Murapaka in Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh, will visit Hyderabad to demonstrate and teach participants the art of Patnulu, or handspun khadi of Ponduru. This traditional technique of spinning khadi, from cotton to yarn, involves […]

When Rahul Mishra steps into the hallowed halls of Paris Haute Couture Week on January 27, he brings with him more than just another collection. He brings a deeply personal narrative, a global call to action, and the poetic sensibilities of an artist mourning loss while grappling with humanity’s place in the universe. Rahul’s latest work, […]

In The Maheshwar Edit, Anaka experiments with bold stripes, textures and colours | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Anaka Narayanan’s capsule collection, The Maheshwar Edit, has a story to tell.  In 2022, Anaka, the founder of Brass Tacks headed to Maheshwar in Madhya Pradesh for an apprenticeship with weaver Nisha Verma. “I was keen on learning […]

Meghana Prakash | Photo Credit: Special Arrangements The next time you gift a book to a bibliophile, pair it with a miniature book pendant for an extra touch of joy. Bengaluru-based software professional-turned-jewellery designer Meghana Prakash (@theclayarte) began creating these pendants to diversify her offerings beyond her signature floral designs. “Book lovers were overjoyed seeing […]

The lines between craft, art, and design are blurring now more than ever before. Artisanal techniques, once seen as the antithesis of “cool”, are gaining ground in art and design circles. Last year saw several narratives around textile, helping transform them into powerful tools of inquiry into cultural identity and sustainability. Exhibitions such as When Indian […]

If trends emerging from fashion weeks held in New York, London, Milan and Paris are a yardstick, the year promises a versatile and transversal wardrobe for men Suspended between city life and weekend getaways, designers propose a closet comprising trans-seasonal pieces exemplifying construction techniques and surface decoration for 2025. Demonstrating an adaptation of traditional dress […]

Each timewe packed for our annual trip to Kerala, my mother would urge me to pack a few kurtas, and some full-length skirts so that I did not offend the sensibilities of my relatives or stand out. And sure enough, I learnt it the hard way that even a casual ensemble of T-shirt and jeans […]

Bead Work jewellery | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement At the Dastkar Bazaar, over 110 artisans from 18 Indian states come together to showcase the beauty and diversity of India’s craftsmanship. Visitors can explore a wide line up crafts such as Sabai grass weaving, papier mache from Kashmir, neem wood work, lacquer toys, seashell work, dhokra, […]

Fashion designer Deepika Govind says her entry into the world of fashion was quite accidental. “I never planned it. I did my Masters in Economics, and wanted to join the civil services. It was while preparing for the civils that I heard about a design contest being held by the National Institute of Technology (NIFT), […]

An earlier edition of Aakruthi Vastra | Photo Credit: V Raju The Crafts Council of Telangana will host the first installment of its bi-annual exhibition of textiles and crafts, Aakruthi Vastra. The Sankranti edition of Aakruthi Vastra 2025 will welcome visitors at a new location, the Jubilee Hills Convention Centre, Hyderabad, on January 8 and […]

A symphony of tribal art symbols from across the globe underscores fashion designer Nupur Kanoi’s recent collection — Maya. Woven in the warp and weft of textiles like pure silk, crepe silk, georgette silk, khaki cotton, cotton silk and silk satin, Maya comprises nearly 25 craft techniques. It is rooted in the creative essence that […]

One barely breaks a sweat while solving a quirky word search in fashion designer Arya Giri’s lookbook for her latest collection, The September Issue. Turns out though, it is the easiest way to decipher her luxury pret line. Words from this puzzle like ‘aubergine’, ‘CMYK’, ‘funny figures’ and ‘storytelling’ are manifested on shirts, waistcoats, skirts […]

Travel Video game tourism Move over film tourism. Gamers are now flocking to locations where their favourite games are set. For example, fans of Assassin’s Creed are travelling to destinations like the Colosseum in Rome, and Notre Dam. Travel for love Yes, that’s a thing. And it’s not just the Gen Z or Millennials who […]

Remember saree-clad Kim and Khloe Kardashian turning heads at the extravagant Ambani wedding? And Jennifer Lopez channelling her inner Queen Charlotte at her Bridgerton-themed birthday party this year? All three chose Indian designers for their headline making red carpet appearances. In July, Kardashian sisters, known world over for their reality shows, wore saree and lehenga-choli […]

Rashi Jain | Photo Credit: RAVINDRAN R It was a pair of cufflinks in the form of a martini glass and a cocktail shaker — a generational piece passed down from her husband’s family — that inspired Rashi Jain to create her own line of cufflinks. The shape and uniqueness of the design intrigued her. […]

If you are a skincare enthusiast, chances are that K-beauty has caught your attention, given its sustained rise in popularity in India. This has ensured easier access to several K-beauty brands now, with dedicated marketplaces for these products.  At Kosmos — a celebration of Korean culture, lifestyle, food and beauty earlier this month in Delhi […]

Mango fashion tycoon Isak Andic | Photo Credit: AFP The founder and owner of fashion empire Mango, Isak Andic, died on Saturday (December 14, 2024) in a mountain accident, police said. He was 71. The businessman slipped and fell over 100 meters from a cliff while hiking with relatives in the Montserrat caves near Barcelona, […]

The fabulous life of Shalini Passi | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Shalini Passi is a vibe. Even when she is frazzled, there is a sense of calm about her. After her talk on Women in Artistry at the Madras Art Weekend (MAW), we sit down for a chat in her suite at the Park Hyatt. […]

Peter England has launched The Bollywood Wedding collection, unveiled by celebrated filmmaker Karan Johar | Photo Credit: Special arrangement Bollywood has long influenced Indian weddings, turning them into cinematic moments. From grand sets to extravagant wardrobes, Bollywood movies have shaped how Indians envision their big day. It all began in 1994, when Hum Aapke Hain […]

Visually-impaired artisans working on creating new clothes at the Little Flower Convent | Photo Credit: VELANKANNI RAJ B For over 30 years in the southern town of Mulagumoodu in Kanyakumari, Sornam and Annama have spent their days bent over wooden frames at the Infant Jesus Technical and Educational Institute. An initiative of the Missionary Sisters […]

Vessel earrings from the [Prime]al collection by Studio Renn | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement For Mumbai-based jewellery brand Studio Renn, working on its collection [Prime]al has been all about creating its own design language.  “Our design has always followed a more creative expression format, and is process driven. We identify a subject, keep studying it […]

William Dalrymple, in his podcast Empire, remarks that by the time the British government took over the East India Company’s operations in 1858, a cultural revolution was underway as a strong Victorian influence took over. The Englishmen in India began determining not just structure in civil society and establishing a colony, but also began influencing […]

One of the pieces from the collection | Photo Credit: special arrangement In the remote villages of Tamil Nadu, under the canopy of a tree, rest the sapta kannika. The seven goddesses represented by seven bricks, smeared in turmeric and adorning bright pieces of Chinnalapatti cloth, come to life in the artwork displayed at the centre of Forum […]

The store has versatile designs that cater to Gen Z’s bold flair and timeless options for a sophisticated look | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement While the rise of e-commerce has led many to predict the decline of brick-and-mortar stores, the fashion scene in Mumbai tells a different story. The city has witnessed a surge in […]

Artist Kanika Ranka Adani | Photo Credit: Chinmay Shah On her return to India in 2016, after pursuing a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, US, Mumbai-based artist Kanika Ranka Adani worked in a graphic design agency, followed by a stint with a fashion designer. However, neither […]

When the author of Ice Cold: A Hip-hop Jewelry History, Vikki Tobak, treads the tightrope between hip-hop music and fashion industry, precision dictates her research. As she lends this expertise to curating an exhibition that shares its theme with her book, she erects an indomitable narrative of the music genre’s evolution over the past five […]

Khaas intends to be a sit-down restaurant focussed on catering to the India that lies North of the Vindhyas with a side of old Bollywood

Viswanathan Anand with Sai Akhil | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Sai Akhil Anand sees patterns everywhere. On the road. And, on animals. “I once looked keenly at the stripes of the zebra and tiger and observed patterns on them,” recalls Akhil, in a telephonic chat, “This made me very interested in art and patterns.” The […]

Photographer G Venket Ram | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement In previous conversations with The Hindu, celebrity photographer G Venket Ram has enthralled readers with myriad tales about his relationship with Chennai and photography. He has recounted his childhood in George Town; spoken of sprinting down Napier bridge at dawn; narrated a story of accidentally stopping […]

The assignment you have been dreading for a year is here. Couturier Rohit Bal’s obituary. He died on Diwali, November 1, 2024, at 63. His mortal remains — buried under flowers at Delhi’s Lodhi Crematorium with the face laid bare for last respects before the pyre was lit — looked irrevocably frozen in time. Love […]

Nazara Collection by Arpita Mehta | Photo Credit: Special Arrangements Nazara, Arpita Mehta’s latest bridal couture collection, is a tribute to India’s cultural heritage blended. The collection, inspired by the Northeast of India and Gujarat, blends contemporary silhouettes with luxurious design: not surprisingly Arpita’s clientele includes celebrities such as Isha Ambani, Ananya Panday, Alia Bhatt, […]

Ratika Kaul | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement India has always been fascinated by gold. We have worn, invested and treasured this metal over centuries. In its chinks, lie the sentimental value of being passed down for generations in the forms of bangles, chains, earrings, and coins. “We are so keen on gold jewellery not just […]

Actor Ananya Panday with designer Rohit Bal on the ramp during the grand finale of Lakme Fashion Week, in New Delhi. Bal passed way on Friday, Nov 1, 2024, after suffering a heart attack, at Aashlok Hospital in New Delhi | Photo Credit: PTI The recent passing of legendary fashion designer Rohit Bal has sent […]

(Left to right) Jemimah Rodrigues, Shreyanka Patil, Shafali Verma, Radha Yadav sporting Qua’s pre-fall collection | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement The founders of the brand Qua, Rupanshi Agarwal and Dr Divya Agarwal, call their pre-fall collection ‘modern armour’. The fits are designed for the contemporary Indian woman, they say, who often has to strike a […]

Rohit Bal. Photo: Special Arrangement Designer Rohit Bal, a pioneer who helped put Indian fashion on the global map and dressed celebrities at home, Hollywood and elsewhere, died on Friday (November 1, 2024) night at a south Delhi hospital following a heart attack. He was 63. The celebrated designer, Gudda to his friends, who stitched […]

Bound for Mumbai from New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, when Chennai-based fashion designer Kaveri Lalchand speaks about her eponymous label’s new store at Khan Market, she is reminded of her numerous trips to the Capital over one-and-a-half years. Kaveri’s new store in Khan Market | Photo Credit: Special arrangement The shopping complex’s proximity to […]