Masters of Luxury: Amit Aggarwal on Sustainability, Banarasi Revival, and International Competition

With over a decade of shaping contemporary Indian couture, designer Amit Aggarwal has built a distinct language rooted in craftsmanship, innovation, and sustainability. Based in New Delhi, with flagship stores in Delhi and Mumbai, Aggarwal is known for pushing the boundaries of traditional textiles while reimagining them through a modern lens. In this episode of Masters of Luxury, he reflects on the philosophy behind his brand, the revival of heritage weaves like Banarasi, the evolving landscape of Indian couture, and why time remains the truest definition of luxury.

Robb Report India (RR): What is the luxury philosophy of Amit Aggarwal as a couture brand in India?

Amit Aggarwal (AA): For me, I think I base luxury on the three elemental pillars of Amit Aggarwal. I feel that emotion, evolution, and eternity are three important aspects that define luxury for me today. I think today, whatever one creates, be it through craftsmanship or through a mode of communication, it definitely needs to evoke emotion. Without that, I think we are just creating soulless things. I also feel that evolution, and evolving crafts as a language, or evolving something that is age-old yet making it contemporary and relevant for the future, is a very important aspect of luxury for me. And lastly, something that is built with intelligence definitely stands the test of time. So I think eternity, like they say, a thing of beauty is a joy forever. I think intelligence is a very important factor for me. The thought that goes behind creating something, how it will move with you, and why it will stay with you is a very important defining fact of luxury.

RR: With your Banarasi edit, you have created literal ripples in Indian fashion, with Isha Ambani and a lot of other celebrities wearing Amit Aggarwal. How did the Banarasi edit come about? What was the inspiration?

AA: Strangely, the Banarasi, or the revival of a heritage textile, started in 2015. The first edit of the Banarasi, and then the forthcoming edits of Peter Patola or Ikat, and multiple other textiles that we have worked with, started in 2016. My first collection at Lakmé Fashion Week talked about the heritage of India through a very French lens, and I looked at brocade as an inspiration. However, showing it with full gravitas on a much larger platform and the visibility that the icons of India brought to it, really took it to the next level. Priyanka Chopra wearing it for the opening of NMACC was one of the most important talking points that made it a signature for the brand almost overnight. I do not think that language is alien to the brand. I think currently it is in the spotlight, the media is talking about it, and the fact that you see many women wearing it makes it feel current, but it is a language that I have worn for a very long time.

RR: In your previous interviews, you have spoken very fondly about Priyanka Chopra, and of course, she wore you at NMACC. As a country, we are very Bollywood-driven, we are a celebrity-infused culture. Many designers also fall back on Bollywood for marketing and promotions. What is your take on that?

Amit Aggarwal: I look at Bollywood, or the Hindi film industry, as a benchmark of culture. For me, it is a very important defining cultural aspect of India. I do not look at Bollywood as the most important aspect of brand positioning. I feel clothing or positioning becomes more important and pivotal when I identify a muse who would wear one of our pieces. So it is not always driven by the numbers that a celebrity has, but more about brand fit, about what craft the actor holds, and how it fits into the larger narrative of Amit Aggarwal.

RR: Who is the Amit Aggarwal muse?

AA: Someone who gravitates towards an Amit Aggarwal creation is someone who looks at intelligence as the most important aspect of design. A person who thinks before choosing something in their life, whether it is clothing or anything else. Someone who looks at the lens of creation through time. I feel it is someone who transcends the past and takes it to the future, definitely a forward-thinking person.

AA: Just the day before yesterday, I had the pleasure of working with Tara. Tara Lal came over to get some pieces made out of upcycled Banarasi, and just having a conversation with her made her the first name that comes to mind because that experience is fresh and relevant. But more than that, every person I come across in the walk of my life has a certain aspect that I feel the clothing resonates with. It is an important job of mine to make them travel that journey in their minds, from being where they are to becoming the Amit Aggarwal person.

RR: What is the global vision for Amit Aggarwal? You already have a very strong fan base abroad. What is your brand vision when it comes to Amit Aggarwal globally?

AA: Besides the global aspect, I would first like to start with what 2026 looks like and the next four years. I feel we are at the cusp where India is being considered such a big powerhouse when it comes to luxury. I definitely feel that expanding here would be the right step for the brand right now, rather than trying to expand globally. A little more footing here would be a more strategic move for the brand.

RR: As you rightly said, India is becoming a conversation starter globally, especially in the luxury space. We see many international brands coming into India and looking at the market here, often with a global but desi approach. How does that place Indian couturiers in terms of competition?

AA: I have always looked at competition as something that allows me to better myself. Today, India has become a melting pot not just of cultures but also of understanding luxury and how it pans across generations. The influx of influences will only add to better taste, and in that mix, it also allows me to make my product better. However, the Indian couture language is a language in its own right. An international brand can come to India and try to create something that is Indian in its approach and nature. However, what comes truly from the vision and creation of an Indian couturier is unparalleled. That will always have a place in our celebrations. You would still choose to wear something beautifully handwoven in an Indian context, like Diwali, over something that may be an export from the West.

RR: Traditionally in India, couture has almost always been synonymous with weddings. What is your take on that? Do you think that is changing?

AA: I would be lying to myself if I said weddings are not the most important aspect when it comes to Indian couture. However, I completely believe the landscape is changing. I feel it is changing because consumers are becoming more intelligent and more conscious. The new generation thinks a lot before they choose, and that is a good energy to begin with. Conscious buying allows you to choose right and choose something that you can wear on multiple occasions. Earlier, a bridal lehenga needed to have stars and moons and everything on it, which ultimately made it a single-time wear.

Brands like mine allow multiple uses of a couture skirt, which can be seen as a lehenga with a blouse or as a skirt with a tuxedo. That allows couture to have a much wider approach in India. Today, I am glad that I have an equal number of clients who come to buy something wonderful for themselves, even if it is for their 40th birthday or an anniversary. One thing we learnt post COVID is that there is a day to celebrate every day. The pressure is definitely reducing on couture having to be only bridal, and I am happy to be part of that cultural change.

RR: As a brand, sustainability and conscious luxury are very inherent to you. How did that come about?

AA: From a very early age, I always knew that I wanted to create clothes. There was never an epiphany moment. It is something I was born with. When I told my family, they were shell-shocked because a middle-class family in the 1980s had nothing to do with fashion. Fashion was extremely limited in the country at the time. For them to imagine that I could build a life in fashion was unimaginable. It was a tough journey, especially for my mother, because academically I was a very strong student. I ranked first in the state in both my tenth and twelfth examinations, so choosing fashion seemed questionable. However, my belief and my father’s support allowed me to take that path with love and conviction. It has been nothing short of a miracle that a boy coming from a small, almost chawl-like background in Bombay became part of fashion.

Coming back to sustainability, I never thought of it as a marketing gimmick. Today it is perhaps one of the most overused terms in fashion. It is simply the way I imagine my life to be. I choose carefully, I draw lines carefully, I select fabrics carefully and I think about the client before anything else. I often ask myself if the price is justified, if I would pay for it, and whether the fabric will stand the test of time. There have been many times I have let go of an order because I did not believe it would do justice to the wearer or the brand.