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Old weave, new tricks: 7 designers giving brocade a modern makeover
Suket Dhir

Old weave, new tricks: 7 designers giving brocade a modern makeover

A new wave of Indian designers is taking brocade out of the bridal trousseau and into the streets — giving it a cool, contemporary spin in the process

Words by Arushi Sinha

Suket Dhir has a particular talent for making even the grand dame of textiles look like it doesn’t take itself too seriously. The International Woolmark Prize-winning designer brings an irreverent spirit to Indian craftsmanship, transforming rich silk brocades into relaxed pantsuits, sharply cut blazers, and statement outerwear designed to subvert expectations. ‘Pause’—a distinct line under the designer’s eponymous label—houses Banarsi silk trench coats in rich jewel tones that blend Indian finery with a global wardrobe staple. Elsewhere, playful woven motifs and easy tailoring lend even the most extravagant textile a distinctly contemporary attitude, resulting in brocades that are as happy at a dinner party in New York as they are at a wedding event in New Delhi.

Fashion is at its most compelling when dealing in contrasts, which is exactly what happens when the extravagance of brocade meets Payal Khandwala’s characteristically restrained design sensibility. Known for her architectural silhouettes, saturated colour, and understated approach to Indian dressing, the designer pairs richly patterned, handwoven brocades with surprisingly uncomplicated forms—think fluid wide-legged trousers, waistcoats, and structured jackets that allow the textile itself to command attention. The designer has recently also explored engineered brocades that offer the visual richness of traditional weaving without its usual formality, proving that the label’s appeal lies in its versatility.

The doyenne of Indian fashion has a long-standing commitment to Indian craftsmanship, including silhouettes that travel well beyond the traditional festive wardrobe. Anita Dongre’s 2026 ‘Rewild’ collection, for example, featured Benarasi silk jacket-and-trouser sets, flowing floor-length strapless gowns, relaxed outerwear including bomber jackets and kimono-style separates made from upcycled brocade dupattas, and richly woven botanical motifs appearingly on sharply tailored jackets, offering a fresh alternative to the familiar sari or lehenga.

Kshitij Jalori has been making brocade feel decidedly modern since introducing his now-signature trench coats and pantsuits in 2018. The designer’s approach is rooted in geometrically patterned textile design, unexpected colour pairings, and carefully considered silhouettes that lend a graphic sharpness to an otherwise ornate fabric. Jalori’s ‘Saigon’ collection, for instance, showcased a silk brocade trench layered over a matching kurta and trousers, while elsewhere, his experiments have extended to tailored jackets and bodysuits that offer an alternative to the familiar festive wardrobe. If Jalori has one outstanding talent, it’s letting the intricacy of the weave do the talking, while keeping his cuts clean and uncomplicated, challenging the idea that brocade can’t mean business.

For Sanjay Garg, the designer behind Raw Mango, traditional textiles have always reigned supreme. The label’s approach is to let the weave, colour, and construction do the heavy lifting, whether through brocade tunics, quilted jackets, or contemporary sari dresses. At London Fashion Week this February, Garg translated his distinctive textile vocabulary into a striking green brocade dress with Islamic ogee motifs, alongside gold jacquard dresses and sharply-tailored separates in a collection titled ‘It’s Not About The Flower’. The presentation also included sculptural jackets, fluid skirt-and-crop-top sets, and high-waisted trousers that took brocade out of the bridal trousseau and planted it firmly in the contemporary era.

Few moments in recent fashion memory have illustrated brocade’s versatility quite as convincingly as Tilfi’s collaboration with Matières Fécales at Paris Fashion Week this season. For the Parisian label’s Spring/Summer 2027 presentation, Banarsi textiles entered a world of theatrical silhouettes and subversive styling that included a pale-pink, sari-inspired look that defied convention, and that eventually ended up on Priyanka Chopra Jonas on a recent red carpet. Varanasi-based textile house Tilfi, meanwhile, has also been exploring their own take on the unconventional with jackets and tailored separates that take heritage weaves beyond the sari, proving that the distance between traditional brocade and fashion’s avant-garde may be smaller than we imagine.

Who says brocade can’t have a little fun? Ekaya has been finding inventive ways to take the textile beyond its traditional trappings, including a collaboration with 431-88’s Shweta Kapur that saw Benarasi silks reworked into tailored blazers, wide-legged trousers, and contemporary dresses that sat alongside Ekaya’s signature saris. Elsewhere, its collaboration with stylist Bhawna Sharma introduced trench coats in handwoven Tanchoi silk, melding a heritage textile with an everyday outerwear staple. If Ekaya’s collaborative offerings prove one thing, it’s that sometimes the easiest way to modernise a fabric is to simply reconsider its shape.

You could argue that brocade, the rich and ornate textile often woven with gold or silver threads, has something of a reputation problem. The textile rose to prominence under Mughal patronage from the 16th century onwards, showcasing a weaving tradition that dates back centuries to the temple town of Varanasi in North India, which also lends the fabric the name ‘Benarasi’.

Long associated with the kind of grandeur usually reserved for Indian weddings, festive celebrations, and the occasional royal portrait, it’s hardly ever been thought of as the kind of thing you’d casually thrown on for lunch. Recently, however, brocade has been finding its way into wardrobes that aren’t so interested in ceremonial dressing.

International runways have caught on to this too, with Spring/Summer 2027 presentations at Ralph Lauren and Dries Van Noten showcasing patterned jacquards, while Parisian provocateurs Matières Fécales collaborated with Varanasi-based textile house Tilfi on a collection that brought Indian weaving traditions into avante-garde territory. Indian designers, of course, have been making this case for years—from Benarasi trench coats and brocade pantsuits to relaxed separates that pair as easily with denim as they do with silk, a growing number of Indian labels have been challenging the idea that preserving a textile’s heritage means sticking to traditional silhouettes. These brands prove that even a weave with centuries of history behind it can have something new to say.

Suket Dhir

Suket Dhir

Suket Dhir has a particular talent for making even the grand dame of textiles look like it doesn’t take itself too seriously. The International Woolmark Prize-winning designer brings an irreverent spirit to Indian craftsmanship, transforming rich silk brocades into relaxed pantsuits, sharply cut blazers, and statement outerwear designed to subvert expectations. ‘Pause’—a distinct line under the designer’s eponymous label—houses Banarsi silk trench coats in rich jewel tones that blend Indian finery with a global wardrobe staple. Elsewhere, playful woven motifs and easy tailoring lend even the most extravagant textile a distinctly contemporary attitude, resulting in brocades that are as happy at a dinner party in New York as they are at a wedding event in New Delhi.

Payal Khandwala

Payal Khandwala

Fashion is at its most compelling when dealing in contrasts, which is exactly what happens when the extravagance of brocade meets Payal Khandwala’s characteristically restrained design sensibility. Known for her architectural silhouettes, saturated colour, and understated approach to Indian dressing, the designer pairs richly patterned, handwoven brocades with surprisingly uncomplicated forms—think fluid wide-legged trousers, waistcoats, and structured jackets that allow the textile itself to command attention. The designer has recently also explored engineered brocades that offer the visual richness of traditional weaving without its usual formality, proving that the label’s appeal lies in its versatility.

Anita Dongre

Anita Dongre

The doyenne of Indian fashion has a long-standing commitment to Indian craftsmanship, including silhouettes that travel well beyond the traditional festive wardrobe. Anita Dongre’s 2026 ‘Rewild’ collection, for example, featured Benarasi silk jacket-and-trouser sets, flowing floor-length strapless gowns, relaxed outerwear including bomber jackets and kimono-style separates made from upcycled brocade dupattas, and richly woven botanical motifs appearingly on sharply tailored jackets, offering a fresh alternative to the familiar sari or lehenga.

Kshitij Jalori

Kshitij Jalori

Kshitij Jalori has been making brocade feel decidedly modern since introducing his now-signature trench coats and pantsuits in 2018. The designer’s approach is rooted in geometrically patterned textile design, unexpected colour pairings, and carefully considered silhouettes that lend a graphic sharpness to an otherwise ornate fabric. Jalori’s ‘Saigon’ collection, for instance, showcased a silk brocade trench layered over a matching kurta and trousers, while elsewhere, his experiments have extended to tailored jackets and bodysuits that offer an alternative to the familiar festive wardrobe. If Jalori has one outstanding talent, it’s letting the intricacy of the weave do the talking, while keeping his cuts clean and uncomplicated, challenging the idea that brocade can’t mean business.

Raw Mango

MASHRU

For Sanjay Garg, the designer behind Raw Mango, traditional textiles have always reigned supreme. The label’s approach is to let the weave, colour, and construction do the heavy lifting, whether through brocade tunics, quilted jackets, or contemporary sari dresses. At London Fashion Week this February, Garg translated his distinctive textile vocabulary into a striking green brocade dress with Islamic ogee motifs, alongside gold jacquard dresses and sharply-tailored separates in a collection titled ‘It’s Not About The Flower’. The presentation also included sculptural jackets, fluid skirt-and-crop-top sets, and high-waisted trousers that took brocade out of the bridal trousseau and planted it firmly in the contemporary era.

Tilfi

Tilfi

Few moments in recent fashion memory have illustrated brocade’s versatility quite as convincingly as Tilfi’s collaboration with Matières Fécales at Paris Fashion Week this season. For the Parisian label’s Spring/Summer 2027 presentation, Banarsi textiles entered a world of theatrical silhouettes and subversive styling that included a pale-pink, sari-inspired look that defied convention, and that eventually ended up on Priyanka Chopra Jonas on a recent red carpet. Varanasi-based textile house Tilfi, meanwhile, has also been exploring their own take on the unconventional with jackets and tailored separates that take heritage weaves beyond the sari, proving that the distance between traditional brocade and fashion’s avant-garde may be smaller than we imagine.

Ekaya

Tripti

Who says brocade can’t have a little fun? Ekaya has been finding inventive ways to take the textile beyond its traditional trappings, including a collaboration with 431-88’s Shweta Kapur that saw Benarasi silks reworked into tailored blazers, wide-legged trousers, and contemporary dresses that sat alongside Ekaya’s signature saris. Elsewhere, its collaboration with stylist Bhawna Sharma introduced trench coats in handwoven Tanchoi silk, melding a heritage textile with an everyday outerwear staple. If Ekaya’s collaborative offerings prove one thing, it’s that sometimes the easiest way to modernise a fabric is to simply reconsider its shape.

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