For decades, Indian craftsmanship has played an invisible but quietly essential role in European luxury. From Alexander McQueen to Valentino, the embellishments, embroideries, and handwoven textiles that define the language of couture have long been made in India by artisans whose names rarely appear on the label. This couture season, however, there are signs of change, as more Indian designers than ever before will appear on the official calendar in Paris.

Manish Malhotra will make his debut at Paris Haute Couture Week on July 8, becoming the fourth Indian designer on the schedule (alongside Rahul Mishra, Gaurav Gupta and Vaishali S). His label, now over two decades old, has dressed Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez and he has designed costumes for over a thousand films. But he is clear that his debut is about more than his own house. “For me, the most meaningful aspect is representation,” he says. “Paris offers visibility in the West, but what excites me most is the opportunity to contribute to the global couture conversation from an Indian perspective, and to create greater awareness of the depth, sophistication and artistry that exists within our ateliers.”

The couturier is joining a calendar that Indians have been quietly building a presence on for years, as they look to grow their businesses internationally. Rahul Mishra became the first Indian designer on the official calendar in January 2020, and this July marks his 14th showing. He has never taken a season off. Gaurav Gupta joined in January 2023, having now shown six times; he is not showing this season as he opens his atelier in Paris, but plans to be back on the calendar in January 2027. Vaishali S, the first Indian woman on the official calendar, opened a flagship on Boulevard Saint-Germain in Paris in 2024; this season, she’ll show off-calendar.

“Looking back, when we first presented in Paris, there was a profound sense of responsibility,” says Mishra. “As the only Indian designer on the official platform at the time, I felt a duty to contribute to the global luxury conversation in a way that went beyond the familiar perception of India as a source of embroidery and handcraft alone. The ambition was to demonstrate that Indian craftsmanship could be a vehicle for innovation, artistic expression, and contemporary design at the highest level.”

India’s presence is no longer a novelty. It is becoming a pattern — one that dates back centuries, as far as India has had an influence on European textiles.

“The cultural relationship between India and France has been ongoing since the 17th century, based on a shared esteem for delicate and elaborate craftsmanship. Many designers have been collaborating with Indian artisans, and the growing presence of Indian designers on the official haute couture calendar fully reflects the common commitment for the defence of craftsmanship, ornament, and creative dialogues,” says Pascal Morand, executive president of the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode (FHCM).

The timing matters. When Dior staged its landmark pre-fall 2023 show in Mumbai, it threw a long-overdue spotlight on the Indian artisans the house had been working with for years. It was a significant moment, but India was still seen as a place of craft rather than one of creativity — despite having its own vibrant fashion industry, with several designers retailing out of Harrods, Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus, as well as flagships from Dubai to New York.

“There is more awareness of the role that Indian artisans play in Western haute couture, but I think it’s just the start of the conversation,” says US-based digital fashion commentator Hanan Besovic. “Too many houses need to acknowledge that a lot of their craft has been done in India. But as far as the perception of fashion goes, I do think this [uptick in Indian designers at couture] has been eye-opening.”

When commerce meets a cultural moment

Indian designers are increasingly being recognized not just for their craftsmanship, but for their creative vision, and Paris Couture Week has played a large role in that perception change. For Gupta, whose brand has dressed Beyoncé, Queen Latifah, Serena Williams and Aishwarya Rai, the calendar offers “an unparalleled global platform”.

“It allows buyers, clients, and industry leaders to engage with the brand at its highest expression. For us, the growth of our demi-couture and eveningwear categories internationally has gone hand in hand with showing in Paris,” Gupta says. “The visibility of the calendar has helped introduce the brand to a much wider audience, while our retail expansion has given those clients a way to access the work. The two have reinforced each other."

Gupta, whose brand is carried in retailers from Bergdorf Goodman in New York to Vakko in Istanbul, is opening his Paris atelier during couture week; though he is not showing, his presence during the week will still be felt. It reflects, he says, “our long-term commitment to building a truly global luxury house from India”.

India has its own couture week, held in Delhi each July. But it’s more localized: for buyers unable to travel to every fashion week, Paris Couture Week serves as a discovery platform. The event “has become increasingly international over the past decade, evolving beyond its traditional Parisian roots to showcase exceptional craftsmanship and creativity from around the world,” Simon Longland, director of fashion buying at Harrods (which stocks Gaurav Gupta and has previously hosted a special event with Manish Malhotra). The inclusion of Indian designers, he adds, brings “a unique perspective rooted in extraordinary artisanal expertise, particularly in embroidery, embellishment and handwork techniques refined over generations. Their presence enriches the couture conversation and adds a distinct cultural dimension to the week.”

Mishra is quick to point out it is about more than the commercial play. “The greatest value has been cultural,” the designer says. “The platform has allowed us to showcase the extraordinary skill of Indian artisans to an international audience, and to participate in important conversations around craftsmanship, sustainability and the role of handmaking in contemporary luxury. In many ways, any recognition belongs not only to the brand, but to the thousands of artisans whose knowledge and dedication continue to keep these traditions alive while constantly pushing them forward.”

The at-home effect

But the impact is not only global. It also shines a light on couture within India, a country with one of the world’s largest couture bridal markets.

Gupta speaks to a shift he has witnessed firsthand. “What has been most interesting is that the impact extends beyond the brand itself. Paris has helped create greater awareness and curiosity around couture and fashion more broadly within India,” he says. “For our clients, particularly brides, there is now a much stronger engagement with the collections shown in Paris. We regularly see brides requesting runway looks directly from the couture collections or wanting adaptations of those pieces for their weddings. There is a deeper appreciation for design, silhouette, construction, and craftsmanship, beyond the traditional expectation of bridalwear being defined primarily by embellishment.”

Showing in Paris, he adds, “reinforces the idea that Indian couture can stand alongside the world’s finest couture traditions while maintaining its own distinct identity”.

As India watches for Malhotra’s debut, the designer is clear-eyed about what he would like to see next. “India has immense talent, and there are so many different interpretations of what Indian couture can look like today,” he says. “Ultimately, this is bigger than any one designer or any one house. It is about Indian craftsmanship receiving the visibility and recognition it has always deserved and about ensuring that the artisans, techniques, and creative excellence that have shaped fashion globally are celebrated.”

Mishra, who has been making that case since 2020, puts it simply. The fact that three very different designers can arrive at the same platform with three completely distinct visions — spanning craft, sculpture, and glamour — is, he says, “perhaps the best reflection of the richness of Indian creativity today”.