Kick Off Festival Season With the Hottest South Asian Fashion Brands
Whether itโs the lehenga, the dupatta or the jhumka, the fashion sphere has been charged with references and inspiration from South Asia lately. Silhouettes and techniques widely recognised as desi, and often disparaged for it, are now cool and aspirational with the Westโs stamp of approval. On home ground, the story has been slightly different. While there is certain and justified outrage, new-age designers are reinterpreting the same age-old crafts and techniques for a younger and globalized clientele.
From Instagram feeds to Pinterest moodboards, as the desi fashion rage takes over your algorithm, allow it to sow a seed of inspiration for upcoming summer months. With Coachella ready for kick-off this weekend, and looking ahead at a stacked summer festival lineup, EnVi has rounded up seven South Asian brands to add equal parts culture and flavour to your festival looks.
abacaxinyc
If bold colors, a tropical spirit, and an ethical wardrobe are for you, Sheena Soodโs NYC-based label will hit just the spot. Named after the Portuguese word for pineapple, abacaxiโs designs are shaped by Soodโs childhood shopping trips in India. The brand was born out of the desire to wear ancestral crafts daily rather than being relegated to just special occasions. The abacaxi community spans from cotton farms in Tamil Nadu, artisan collectives in Peru, to workshops in New Delhi. The silhouettes often use a touch of draping, texture, and character are central, and the colors are bold enough to fit in at a psychedelic rave. If itโs a bright and cute crochet set youโre looking for, the Knit Openwork Halter Top and Sweater Shorts in Bubble Tape Pink are for you. If chic and tailored is the vibe youโre bringing, their Zipper Cowl Dress comes in a cosmic gingham print with a custom abacaxi flower puller for the perfect Y2K detail.
MIRCHI BY KIM
The name does all the talking for this Gen Z darling. Bold, hot and packing a punch, mirchi refers to a South Asian chilli pepper used extensively for cooking. Or in this case, it refers to model Kimaya Singhโs womenswear brand, approved by the coolest girls, from India all the way to New York City. Sparkly miniskirts and dresses, slinky halter tops reminiscent of the naughts, and the signature red chilli tanks โ each design is layered in femininity and nostalgia, and crafted by hand by the artisans of Mirchi. For festival season, tap into your inner divine femininity with the fringed Kali Set; or a retro Bollywood-inspired cowboy look in the upcycled Zarina Denim Jacket.
RESCHA
Synonymous with the Hindi word resha meaning yarn, Rescha exclusively uses deadstock and sustainable fibers. Founder Charlotte Chowdhuryโs French Indian heritage spills all over this cult favorite label, stationed between Paris and Jaipur. Reschaโs design language explores blended cultures, reimagines traditional motifs like the bindi and subverts all expectations. Think knitted t-shirts paired with raw silk skirts, knitted and jewelled slippers, and chiffon shirts that leave just enough to the imagination. Rescha is an explosion of texture and a celebration of Indian artisanship. On EnViโs festival fashion watch are the DOLLY silk scarf with embroidered flower motifs, and the KHEL jacket in raw silk for breezy dessert nights.
COLLECTED XX
As a textile art conservation forum, Collected XX works to preserve South Asian handwoven fabrics and handiwork techniques of cultural heritage across various ethnicities within the subcontinent. The collective collaborates with master artisans from all over Pakistan, through a process of examination, treatment, and reconstruction of textiles. Cultivating a relationship with artisans, they provide a transparent platform to preserve ancestral crafts, innovate, and authentically redefine culture. For festival season, a desi upgrade is headed for your graphic tees. The brandโs Yasmine Graphic T Shirt is used as a canvas for Indofuturism artwork. And because one cowboy-inspired look is never enough โ put a South Asian spin on the dessert favorite with the Spineflower Denim Shirt, complete with hand-embroidered wildflowers and tassels.
GUNDI STUDIOS
โI was tired of seeing representations of meek South Asian women in the media and decided to create my own character and space for girls like me,โ reads Natasha Sumantโs vision of her brand, established in 2018. Gundi, meaning female thug, is a colloquial Hindi term used to describe women who live by their own rules; as such Gundi Studios celebrates the misfit girls. Through its campaigns featuring brown women and supply chain based in rural India, Sumant addresses the dismissal of South Asian women from fashion. Overlooked traditions, age-old techniques, and a meticulous fusion of craftsmanship with daring โ this is what defines the brand. Nothing says festival chic better than a sheer black dress, especially one thatโs draped like the Kaali Saree Dress. And something to carry those essentials in? Meet the Sona Bag in Mashru silk, hand smocked and handsewn by artisans in Jodhpur, India.
OUTHOUSE JEWELLERY
Bold, dramatic, and architectural, sisters Kaabia and Sasha Grewal have built Outhouse Jewellery to be the centre of attention; not just of your outfit, but also Indiaโs costume jewellery landscape. As designers, the Grewal sisters carved a niche of their own when they established the brand over 13 years ago โ with theatrics, intention, and an impeccable focus on craftsmanship sitting right at its heart. In essence, Outhouse Jewellery has always had a global identity. Most recently spotted on BLACKPINKโs Jisoo for the groupโs latest music video, โGO.โ Put down your 2016 choker, and give way to the delicately sculpted Koko Alchemy Choker in a dual metallic tone. If a statement bangle is more your thing, the Crimson Relic Bangle is equal parts fluid and sculptural, crowned with maroon glass stones to stand out.
ZOHRA RAHMAN
Artist and jewellery designer Zohra Rahmanโs eponymous label draws on her South Asian heritage and global influences to deconstruct and reinterpret traditional motifs and identity. The pieces are handcrafted in a small atelier in Lahore, and have been spotted on celebrities ranging from FKA Twigs to Hanni of NewJeans. Based between New York City and Lahore, her work is informed by dual cultures and absorbing the aesthetic tensions between South Asia and the West. Rahmanโs version of the much-talked-about jhumka, named the Djinn Jhumkas, is architectural and has a windchime-like effect with every movement. The Studded Allah Amulet, a reimagination of the protective taweez, features the brandโs signature chain-like style with a riveted inscription of Allah in Arabic.
In a time when South Asian culture is increasingly being misemployed as currency in the West, discretion becomes all the more important. To be truly inspired by a culture and its techniques, one must understand its roots and the various factors that shape them. As globalization takes effect โ with languages, traditions and communities disappearing โ perhaps the most important step is to support the preservation of artisan families who have relied on crafts for generations.
Want to find more global talent in fashion? Check out EnViโs recap of Asian NYFW!
