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Manipuri silk, Banarasi brocade and desi nostalgia: India’s fashion goes global
Three international fashion moments this week showed the many ways Indian craft and design are finding a place on the global stage
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From raw Manipuri silk captivating an Italian runway and pop icon Shakira performing in Banarasi brocade to an Indian brand debuting at London Fashion Week, here’s a look at India’s latest international fashion moments.
Lovebirds Studio takes desi nostalgia to LFW
Indian label Lovebirds, owned by Delhi-based designer couple Gursi Singh and Amrita Khanna, debuted on the London Fashion Week calendar on September 21, with their Spring-Summer 2027 showcase, ’India: IYKYK’. They reimagined authentic Indian nostalgia into high fashion, subverting clichés using graphics inspired by the nostalgic ’Adarsh Balak’ (Ideal Boy) print alongside studio portrait backdrops in Chintz fabric. The standout footwear moment came in the form of elevated, heel-bound iterations of the classic hawai chappal (flip-flop), bringing quintessential Indian street style straight to the catwalk. The show was closed by model Kirandeep Chahal.
Manipur’s sericulture showcased in Milan
In a celebratory moment for North-East India on the global stage, Manipuri designer Robert Naorem opened an international fashion event at the Meliá Milano Hotel on September 20. Marking a decade of his label, Naorem collaborated with the Department of Sericulture, Government of Manipur, to present ‘Tapestry’, a 22-look masterclass blending indigenous Manipuri silks with modern tailoring.
Shakira shines in Banarasi brocade
Indian couture continues its reign on global music stages with Shakira wearing custom Gaurav Gupta during her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour in Madrid, which kicked off on September 18. Styled by Nicolas Bru, the pop icon wore a hand-sculpted brass breastplate, paired with a handwoven Banarasi silk brocade skirt, sculpted like the waves of an ocean. Sharing details about the ensemble on his social media on September 21, Gupta revealed that the artist took 500 hours to craft it with a team of 10 artisans. The gold-toned breastplate features a she-wolf, a recurring symbol in Shakira’s artistry, representing instinct, resilience and feminine power.
