Indian quiet luxury in limelight: When design speaks louder than words

It has been a busy week for Namrata Karad, founder and creative director of Ahikoza by Brahm, after former journalist Lauren Sanchez was spotted carrying a black clutch from the brand ahead of her wedding to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in Italy.

The image quickly found its way into the global fashion spotlight—not just for the celebrity moment, but for the absence of any visible branding as well. “For them to be carrying a brand without a logo? I humbly believe it says something about the brand,” Karad told ET.

She’s part of a growing group of Indian and Indian-origin designers gaining global acclaim for ‘quiet luxury’—a fashion movement defined by unique and subtle designs with a focus on craftsmanship. Labels like 11.11/ eleven eleven, Dhruv Kapoor, and behno New York are leading this trend. Hollywood actor Brad Pitt, for instance, was seen wearing a shirt from 11.11/eleven eleven in a scene in his latest film, F1.


Karad said her luxury handbags and accessories brand was born out of passion nine years ago, and not with the intention of celebrities endorsing it on red carpet. “I saw a gap in the market, and I wanted to design handbags that would not have to announce themselves with a loud logo. Rather, be recognised by design.”

All global brands have key features—a DNA. Think of Bottega Veneta that is known for its weave, or Judith Leiber famous for its crystal studded handbags. The thing that stands out for Ahikoza by Brahm handbags is the geometric patterns.

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“This is our defined DNA. When people talk about the brand, they recognise it by design. That, to me, is true luxury,” Karad said.

New Delhi headquartered 11.11/ eleven eleven—cofounded by Shani Himanshu and Mia Morikawa more than 15 years ago—follows a ‘seed to stitch’ philosophy. Moving away from mainstream manufacturing, the label produces small batches of ‘slow-made clothing’ in collaboration with groups of artisans located all across India.

For instance, for the Kala cotton indigenous to Kachchh in Gujarat, it works with local weavers who specialise in hand spinning. “The neighbouring villages also participate in the process. This leaves a much lower carbon footprint,” Himanshu said.

“The reason why many people don’t know of us till now is because we have been quietly building this entire ecosystem in keeping with our design ethos,” he said. “The larger vision is to make all our products compostable. We have not achieved this in all our products yet.”

11.11/eleven eleven only uses plant-based dyes and 100% natural colours. It also has a showroom in New York, and retails through 100 stores across India, the US, Europe and Japan. Hollywood actor Dev Patel visited its New Delhi store last month.

Dhruv Kapoor, founder and creative director of his eponymous label, said the term quiet luxury emerged simply as a contrast to overt, all-over monogramming. “The brand name recedes, allowing quality, craftsmanship, and silhouette to lead,” he said.

“True quiet luxury—where branding is nearly untraceable—tends to attract a more mature, discerning audience,” Kapoor said. His approach is to strike a balance with most pieces carrying a small, refined logo. A select few, like casual jumpers, sport bold logos and they “sell out within days,” he said.

Kapoor will showcase his collection at the Milan Fashion Week for the seventh time in September. Behno—which retails wallets, small leather goods, mini bags, totes and sling bags—has its design studio headquartered in the West Village of Manhattan in New York City, but it is very much rooted in the Indian subcontinent for production, according to its founder and creative director Shivam Punjya.

“Over the last year, we’ve expanded our presence through select retail partners and pop-ups in key global markets, and we’ve been fortunate to receive recognition from international press and tastemakers,” Punjya said.

The brand will open its first store in India in Mumbai later this year, “marking an important step in building a physical flagship presence for the brand,” he said.

behno (translating to sisters in Hindi) claims to be pioneering ‘a new standard’ for manufacturing in the global garment trade, focusing on the way garment workers and artisans are viewed, employed, and treated. The brand’s products are handmade in facilities implementing a set of six guiding principles focusing on health, artisan growth, family planning, women’s rights, workplace satisfaction, and eco consciousness.

In 2019, behno won Fashion Group International’s Rising Star Award in accessories. Previous winners include Tory Burch, Michael Kors and Jason Wu.

For Punjya, quiet luxury is about intention over excess—a design philosophy where there is a deep consideration for craftsmanship, materiality, and design integrity. “It’s luxury that you feel intimately for yourself…something that makes you feel special or even empowered,” he said. “It's a luxury where those who know, know."