RR Recommended: Sangita Kathiwada's Favourite Sustainability-First Luxury Brands

Sangita Devi Kathiwada approaches luxury through the lens of responsibility and cultural continuity. As a committed advocate for sustainable design, she believes luxury is defined by how much thought is put into making an object, how long it endures, and the ecosystem it sustains.  

Her curatorial practice champions brands that place craftsmanship, ethical production, and material integrity at their core. By bringing together makers and artisans from India and across the world, Kathiwada highlights a quieter, more enduring form of luxury, one that honours artisans, respects resources, and creates objects of lasting cultural and aesthetic significance.  

When asked about her favourite sustainable luxury brands from India and across the world, Kathiwada shared a list of six brands, which she considers foundational to understanding how contemporary luxury is being redefined today. 

SĀR Studio, Pune, India 

Contemporary design with a long view 

Founded in Pune, SĀR Studio works across furniture, lighting, and objets d’art with a focus on longevity, modularity, and material restraint. The studio blends contemporary design with cultural context, often referencing Indian ways of living and spatial use while avoiding trend-led aesthetics. Sustainability is addressed through durability and adaptability rather than surface-level claims, with pieces designed to evolve with their environments over time. As Kathiwada notes, these are “pieces meant to stay, objects that settle into a space rather than compete with it.” 

Boito, India 

Slow luxury fashion rooted in Odisha textiles 

Boito is a slow-fashion label dedicated to preserving Odisha’s indigenous handwoven textiles, including Bomkai, Khandua, Pipli, Sambalpuri, and related regional weaves. The brand works closely with artisan communities, translating traditional techniques into contemporary luxury garments without diluting their cultural origin. Each piece maintains a clear connection to place, craft, and process. “Textiles carry lineage,” Kathiwada says, adding that when they are “handled with care, they don’t need reinvention.” 

RaasLeela Textile, India 

Women-led handcrafted luxury 

Based in Gujarat, RaasLeela Textile is a women-led atelier producing hand-stitched garments and home textiles using upcycled and dye-free materials. All pieces are made without machines, placing emphasis on handwork, ethical production, and minimal waste. The brand treats irregularity as an intentional design element, allowing the maker’s hand to remain visible throughout the process. Kathiwada reflects, “there’s honesty in letting the hand remain visible,” noting that this is “where the soul of the piece lives.” 

Obakki, Vancouver, Canada 

Global craft with purpose 

Founded in 2005, Obakki curates handcrafted homeware and lifestyle objects made by artisan communities across regions, including Africa, Latin America, and Asia. The brand operates on a fair-wage, small-batch model and reinvests a portion of its profits into long-term community development through the Obakki Foundation. Its approach combines contemporary design with direct, accountable sourcing. For Kathiwada, Obakki exemplifies the idea that “design has to be accountable; otherwise, it’s just consumption dressed up as taste.” 

Rêve En Vert, United Kingdom 

Curated sustainable luxury 

Rêve En Vert is a London-based luxury platform founded in 2013 that curates fashion, beauty, and lifestyle brands meeting strict environmental and ethical standards. The platform focuses on transparency, responsible sourcing, and long-term value, positioning sustainability as integral to luxury. Kathiwada notes that the platform demonstrates how “responsibility doesn’t dilute luxury, it sharpens it.” 

CDK, Bhutan 

Culture-led sustainable fashion 

Founded by designer Chandrika Tamang, CDK is a Bhutan-rooted fashion and lifestyle brand working with traditional handloom textiles and natural fibres. The label collaborates closely with women weavers and prioritises small-scale production, minimal waste, and cultural preservation. Its designs translate Bhutanese textile heritage into contemporary forms while maintaining ethical and community-centred practices. Kathiwada observes that “some cultures have practised sustainability long before it had a name,” adding that CDK “understands that instinctively.”