Five Indian labels building in very different ways — and why they’re worth knowing.
This isn’t a shopping list, and nobody paid to be on it. It’s a short guide to labels whose way of working says something about where Indian fashion is going. We’ve linked to the reporting each description is based on, so you can read more for yourself.
Kartik Research — craft as a system
Istituto Marangoni describes Kartik Research as one of the clearest examples of renewed global interest in Indian craftsmanship — a label built around craft systems rather than surface decoration.
Nicobar — everyday Indian design
Founded by Simran Lal and Raheeja Dhariwal, Nicobar is positioned, in the same report, as a modern Indian brand blending design sensitivity with practical, everyday function — Indian references, worn lightly.
HUEMN — streetwear with Indian realities
HUEMN works where streetwear, graphic design and youth culture meet. Marangoni frames it as speaking to a generation whose references are global but whose everyday lives are specifically Indian.
Antar Agni — Indian silhouettes, re-sculpted
Known, per Marangoni, for sculptural draping and a modern reworking of Indian silhouettes.
Atelier Vedantika — leather that ages
A leather goods label highlighted by Cosmopolitan India for its full-grain leather from Indian and European tanneries — and for treating the natural variations in the leather as part of each bag’s character.
What connects them
Our read
Five very different labels, one shared instinct: they don’t borrow their confidence from anywhere else. Craft, comfort, youth culture, sculpture, material — each picks one thing and takes it seriously. That’s a better reason to pay attention to a brand than any trend.
Building a small label yourself? Tell us what you’re making.
