Kareena Kapoor Khan, Madonna, and Rihanna have more in common than simply being generational icons. They all belong to the cult that swears by one of India’s most elusive jewellers: Hanut Singh.
His inspirations span architecture, nature, literature, and spirituality, leading to pieces that are design-led: sculptural and high-impact without being overdone. “In a world that pushes scale and noise, I chose restraint and independence. I trusted instinct and clarity over conformity, resisting the pressure to follow formulas or grow for the sake of visibility,” the designer reflects
There are no splashy launches, no celebrity “placements”, no aggressive PR machinery. Instead, Singh operates as a one-man army, speaking to clients, stores, karigars, and the press himself. “I built my business entirely on my own terms,” shares Singh. Instead of seasonal collections, he took his time to create signature styles—a move that paid off in the long run. This commitment to honing his language brought the brand the cache it enjoys now.
Today, his dagger pendants and Art Deco earrings have become something of an unofficial uniform for cool women everywhere. But it isn’t just Singh’s design sensibility that sets him apart. Intent matters just as much, shaped by his belief in provenance, the human hand, and narrative over logos and noise. “Luxury, in the next five years, will be defined by meaning rather than excess, becoming quieter, more personal, and rooted in identity. In a world of speed and replication, rarity of thought and craftsmanship will matter most.”
In just five short years—since launching his label Kartik Research (initially named Karu Research) during his sophomore year at the University of Pennsylvania—New Delhi-raised Kartik Kumra has emerged as a fashion wunderkind. Championing a menswear movement rooted in craft and a distinctly ‘soft boy’ aesthetic, his young label is already making big waves. The list of accolades is long—a spot on the Paris Men’s Fashion Week calendar; recognition by the LVMH Prize not once, but twice; Fashion Trust Arabia’s Guest Country Award for India; and a flagship store in New York.
“It was pretty early in our brand’s trajectory when we started to show in Paris. It probably didn’t make financial sense at the time. But we took a risk, and eventually it seems to have paid off,” shares Kumra. Today, Kartik Research can be found at prestigious global stockists such as Mr Porter and Dover Street Market, and on celebrities including Lewis Hamilton and Kendrick Lamar.
From Paris to New York, his jackets and shirts made in India’s artisanal clusters have found a new global audience that is brimming with enthusiasm and craft consciousness “which is really refreshing,” says the designer. He is most excited about the kantha craft form. “We’ve been messing around with kantha on a matka silk base. It’s very expensive but feels unbelievable, especially when the embroidery is quite dense. It creates a really interesting texture.”
All of the brand’s designs are handmade and the team works with analogue technologies for the most part. “Our patterns are still on paper, not CADs [Computeraided Design Systems],” he says. And “bringing a more human element and an interesting angle to craft will be the main drivers in defining luxury,” in the years to come, he adds. “The creative process will become key, especially when you doom-scroll through AI content for hours every day.”
No designer has shaped the visual language of Bollywood glamour quite like Manish Malhotra. The costume designer, couturier and, most recently, filmmaker has shaped how fashion on the big screen influences pop culture in India through his work in over 800 films, including blockbusters such as Rangeela, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, and Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani.
In 2005, he launched his eponymous design house that today spans couture, luxury prêt, high jewellery, accessories and beauty, creating a signature language of maximalist glamour, rooted in traditional craft. And then there is his own star power: one that has seen him walk the red carpet at the prestigious Met Gala, and stage grand showcases at global platforms like Dubai Fashion Week. “Moving from costume design into couture wasn’t a very obvious transition at the time. I was deeply associated with cinema, and shifting into building a luxury fashion brand required a completely different mindset,” he reminisces. “But I’ve always believed in evolving. That decision allowed me to take storytelling beyond the screen. Looking back now, it was a decision that shaped everything that followed.”
Today, Malhotra bridges his two worlds with ease. From dressing leading celebrities for their weddings to Bollywood’s biggest names from Kareena Kapoor Khan and Karan Johar to Alia Bhatt and Ananya Panday having him on speed dial, his appeal cuts across generations and style sensibilities.
Signature pieces—voluminous lehengas paired with sexy blouses, sequinned saris, and classic menswear with intricate embroidery—remain perennial favourites. “I’m really loving tissue at the moment because it has this beautiful movement. You can really build volume without it feeling too heavy. What excites me is reinterpreting it whether pairing it with contemporary silhouettes or layering it in unexpected ways.”
Malhotra is careful that his work must always feel personal and intentional. “People can sense when something is done for the right reasons, when there is a point of view, a signature, and a true design language, not just a logo,” he says. “In the years to come, luxury will be about longevity. Craftsmanship will become even more important: the handwork, the finish, the hours that go into a piece, and the story behind it. That’s where emotion lives.”
Bandhgalas may be on the Oscars red carpet and beyond today, but Raghavendra Rathore has been synonymous with the silhouette for decades.
A descendant of Jodhpur’s erstwhile royal family, Rathore studied at Parsons School of Design, and trained under Donna Karan and Oscar de la Renta before turning his attention back home. In 1994, he launched his eponymous label, now widely regarded as a benchmark for the most elevated expression of this classic Indian menswear staple.
Early on, Rathore made the conscious decision to focus on a singular hero piece—a clarity of vision that has come to define his brand. The designer believes that culture and purpose help define luxury. “It’s about restraint and personal relevance,” he says.
Rathore has always stood for a definition of luxury rooted in intention, authenticity, and cultural depth rather than overt branding. The bandhgala is a silhouette he grew up around, watching generations of his family wear it with ease. His intervention has been subtle yet impactful, refining it for the contemporary world, without compromising on its timeless appeal.
“I resisted the seasonal trend cycle and refused to chase volume from the start. Choosing to build icons instead of collections was commercially slower, but it created long-term cultural value and recognition [for the brand],” says the designer.
More recently, Rathore has been researching Indian military tailoring traditions and structured handwoven textiles. “I am increasingly drawn to crafts that were designed for function, hierarchy, and endurance, because they translate naturally into modern luxury without nostalgia,” he elaborates.
His enduring fascination with precision tailoring explains his admiration for French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent, who he believes “created a language that empowered men and women equally through tailoring.” Closer home, he cites the late designer Rohit Bal, “for his deep respect for craft and intellectual independence.”
From the village of Malhausi in Uttar Pradesh to the fashion capital world of the world—Paris—Rahul Mishra’s ascent to the highest echelons of fashion is one of India’s most remarkable success stories. Since debuting in 2006, his eponymous brand—that he runs with wife Divya Mishra—has become one of the country’s most visible fashion exports to the French capital.
A regular on the Paris Haute Couture Week calendar— Mishra’s presence in Paris has helped open doors for several other Indian brands to imagine global ambitions.
Mishra’s heart, however, remains firmly rooted in India. Celebrating the country’s extraordinary craft heritage continues to be his raison d’être—whether by including karigars in his runway shows or dressing global stars such as Zendaya in saris.
“In a world that is increasingly being dominated by AI, the slowness of craft will take on new meaning in the coming years,” Mishra reflects. “The patience behind human processes and the touch of hands will have a deeper connect with the luxury consumer.”
The designer has previously collaborated with Italian luxury brand Tod’s on a special line of embroidered accessories: another example of his ability to bridge Indian craftsmanship with global luxury.
While the last two decades have seen Mishra become one of the industry’s most celebrated names, it is also his ability to pivot and adapt that has held him in good stead. “Before the brand, I had two ventures that did not succeed commercially. But they were deeply formative experiences,” he reveals. “A stable business requires constant adaptability, including the ability to listen, evolve, and respond quickly to opportunity and feedback.” Recent examples include a joint venture with Reliance Brands Limited in 2022 and the launch of his luxury ready-to-wear line, Afew.
Currently, however, his most cherished passion project is far removed from the runway. Building a mountainside retreat in Uttarakhand from the ground up allowed Mishra to take on the challenge of learning sustainable architecture without any formal training.
“What began as a deeply personal, almost instinctive project became a new touchpoint for the brand,” he explains. “For the first time, people can experience our philosophy not just through what we make, but through how we live.”
Rajesh Pratap Singh is a man of few words—a restraint that is mirrored in his work, too. Over the years, he has applied his razor-sharp lens to Indian handlooms, stripping them of spectacle, embellishment, and pomp to present a minimal and considered expression. Quietly radical, as industry insiders often describe it, his work is anything but simple.
Instead, it is defined by clean lines, precise construction, and clever detailing; modern silhouettes reframed by Indian textiles including ikat, Chanderi and Banarasi, which he returns to time and again. And while he views technology as a collaborator, AI hasn’t significantly impacted his work, so far, he says. “At least not in the core act of design. The human instinct still leads the process,” he says.
Singh views being in fashion as his most unusual business decision to date, citing designers David Abraham and Rakesh Thakore as the reasons he got into the trade. Since then, his work has earned him a National Award for ‘Outstanding Contribution to Indian Fashion’, as well as a place in the permanent textile and apparel archives of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
In a country that often leans towards maximalism, Singh has consistently charted his own path, making intellect de rigueur in fashion—and that is the decision that has defined his longevity.
How does he view luxury today and in the years ahead? “Authenticity. Authenticity. Authenticity. Period,” he says. And while he sees “great enthusiasm” among a new generation of Indian consumers, “there is still a growing need for deeper design awareness,” he adds.