My top 5 - small Indian textile and clothing brands (that ship internationally)

Lots of silk, unique dye work and one-of-a-kind pieces. Curated after much deliberation.

In my short time as a TikTok micro-influencer (ew), the one question that has repeatedly flooded my DMs is: where do I shop in India? What Indian brands do I support?

I love this question because South Asia has such a rich history of craftsmanship. India was a hub for textiles in ancient times, the crafts here have been developed and refined for thousands of years. This, along with India’s vast diversity of ethnic groups, makes it a magical, endless library of traditional textile work and garment manufacturing. So much of what we see being made by clothing brands in the West is derived and sourced from here.

So, this is my list - my top five (not sponsored and in no particular order) Indian shopping platforms/designers/small businesses that I adore.

1. The first recommendation I love to give out is Local Nation. Local Nation is a directory of multiple small Indian homegrown brands and artisans' work. They deliver internationally and might be the place that offers the best value for money on this list. Their Instagram is quite inspiring; it highlights the stories of all the entrepreneurs whose pieces they carry. I recently purchased this silver silk tissue saree from them for about 4,075 rupees ($48 USD). It arrived at my home in India about 24 hours after I pressed purchase, at no extra cost. With a saree, you do have to find a tailor (or DIY if you're a sewing god) to add a fall to the saree and make a blouse for it. But I still think for six yards of luminescent mulberry silk, this is as good of a deal as it gets. They also carry dresses, pants, stationery, home goods etc. I also love the Coffee Caffeine and the Adhi Raat sarees by them.

   

   Handloom Tissue Silk Sarees via The Local Nation

2. The next brand I literally salivate for is Maku textiles. Maku textiles is a brand from Kolkata. This is one of those brands where I would say the quality of the pieces truly matches the price. I would describe their pieces as relaxed but tailored at the same time. I bought a pair of indigo-dyed trousers from them and wore them to a brunch; the woman sitting beside me loved them so much I swear if I let her, she would have worn them home. I love when a brand has a defined color palette. I would describe Maku’s palette as if someone swatched the stretch  where mountains meet the sky—earthy, subdued, natural, breathtaking. They only use natural fibers (I am very anti synthetics so this is a big positive for me) and seem to source all their raw materials locally. I am in awe of this dress by them, and this one too. They have a yearly sale that usually takes place towards the end of March; all the stuff I like typically sells out in a matter of hours.

   

   

   Dresses via Maku textiles Solaris collection

3. This next brand's pieces feel like they were made amidst the mountains by a group of fairies. Koūkon carries a breathtaking collection of small batch, handmade, naturally dyed clothing, handmade paper, and so much more. The brand is run out of the founder Mridu’s home in Mukteshwar, Uttarakhand. They offer free natural dyeing classes to marginalized women who can eventually join

   and create with them. They make custom designs on request and ship worldwide. Two of my most favorite going-out tops, Riptide II and Jamun (that I wear religiously), are from here. I’ve also had my eye on their Butter dress for a long time and plan on adding it to my collection soon. I could talk about Koūkon’s ethereal designs for three days if given the chance, but for the sake of this article, I’m going to stop here.

   

   

   Butter, Jamun and Riptide II via Koūkon

4. The next brand I am in awe of is Studio Medium. Studio Medium is a Delhi-based brand by Riddhi Jain Satija. They “work with a combination of traditional handwoven textiles and resist dyeing techniques using natural and azo-free dyes”. I recently ordered  this hands-free saree from them. Their hands-free saree balances perfectly on the line between tradition and innovation; the socket to put your hand through looks like a portal to me. So much of my work as an artist is a result of my fascination with portals; I felt so instantly connected to this collection. The saree takes approximately 24-28 days to ship after the date of order. I ordered the saree for an upcoming wedding I had to attend and asked them if they could expedite the production process for me; they were extremely prompt and gracious in their reply and sent me the saree two weeks earlier and also offered me great recommendation for where to buy my petticoats from. The saree came with the blouse piece and is absolutely stunning; the dye work on it moves seamlessly between black, navy, and a delicious pastel blue. I hope to pass this saree on to my granddaughter someday. I also love this bottle-green hands-free saree by them and this metallic blue one too.

   

   

   Hands-free sarees via Studio Medium

5. Lastly is Raasleela Textiles. Raasleela sadly is the only brand on this list I haven't been able to purchase a piece from. Every single garment of theirs is completely hand-stitched. They use only raw and bleach-free fabric, and their pieces are all made by local specialty skilled artisans. Due to the small batch and slow fashion approach Raasleela takes, they often sell out quickly. I truly love everything they make, but my current favorites would be this shirt (the embroidery feels like the shirt has been given a gorgeous freehand line tattoo) and this quilt. I really recommend reading the people behind the brand section on their website; it’s extremely inspiring.

   

   

   Bougainvillea Shirt and Satrangi Mor Quilt via Raasleela Textiles

If you made it this far, thank you so much. This is my first Substack post ever, and I wrote it while sitting in terrible posture on my childhood bed. I am in India for some personal tidbits of work but also to attend the wedding of my cousin over the next week. I plan on wearing both the Studio Medium and the Local Nation saree on different days of this event. I also plan on making TikToks wearing/draping them, if seeing these pieces in motion is something you might be interested in. I think I want my next Substack to be on the process of purchasing a saree that’s right for you and how to go about making a blouse for the same. I hope to encourage more young women to wear sarees.

I also hope this piece inspired you to support some small Indian brands. If you want more, please subscribe, I plan to keep writing :)

Bye for now,

<3 Puj

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