Not Just Kolhapuri Chappal, Indian Influences Have Long Been Dominating International Runways

Indian craftsmanship has never been a seasonal trend. It’s a constant, woven into the seams of haute couture, sewn into silhouettes from Milan to Paris, and embroidered into global fashion history with a finesse India has mastered. If you needed a reminder (not that we ever did), Louis Vuitton’s Spring/Summer 2026 Menswear showcase served it loud, proud, and beautifully embellished.

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Louis Vuitton Men’s SS26 show opened not just a new chapter in the brand’s vision under Pharrell Williams, but spotlighted a deeply considered Indian narrative, A new sense of dandyism. The show’s set, conceptualised by celebrated architect Bijoy Jain of Studio Mumbai, was a stunning architectural ode inspired by the traditional Indian board game, Snakes and Ladders, reimagined as a grand, almost spiritual runway environment. The trunks, long considered a Louis Vuitton signature, were detailed with embroidery motifs inspired by Indian iconography, think florals, paisleys, and geometric metaphors that subtly referenced subcontinental storytelling.

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As models walked, the soundscape featured Yaara, an unreleased track co-created by Pharrell and none other than A.R. Rahman. The fusion was atmospheric, rhythmic, and unmistakably rooted in India, a meeting of two musical worlds that mirrored the meeting of fashion and heritage on stage. This wasn’t cultural tokenism. This was collaboration, credit, and craft.

India On The Global Runway: It's Been Happening

While the LV show may have reignited mainstream conversation, the truth is India has long been stitched into international fashion’s vocabulary, not as an exotic afterthought, but as a cornerstone of creativity.

Prada With A Kolhapuri Twist (SS26)

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Prada got the memo, but not in a dramatic fashion show. In one of their recent showcases, Kolhapuri chappals quietly made their way down the runway, paired with luxe minimalism and oversized tailoring. No fuss, no fireworks,  just a powerful placement of traditional Indian footwear in the world of luxury fashion. It was low-key, but culturally loud.

Jean Paul Gaultier Haute Couture (FW17)

Fast forward to 2017, Jean Paul Gaultier’s Haute Couture Fall/Winter show in Paris featured sari-inspired drapes, silk organzas, and silhouettes that nodded to Indian bridalwear without losing the couture drama he’s known for. Paired with nose rings, making a bold fashion statement.

Chanel’s Paris-Bombay Collection (Pre-Fall 2012)

Let’s rewind to 2012 when Karl Lagerfeld transformed the Grand Palais into a lavish Indian palace for Chanel’s Paris-Bombay Métiers d'Art show. The models wore bindis, maang tikkas, brocade jackets, and even Nehru collars, all dripping in opulence. Also incorporating traditional headgear, ‘pagdi’, in their looks seamlessly.
Lagerfeld didn’t merely reference India; he recreated its atmosphere. This wasn’t minimalism. This was maximalism rooted in romance, marigold nostalgia, and decadent embroidery.

John Galliano’s Spring 2003: The Sari Reimagined

Before Gaultier, there was Galliano. For his Spring 2003 collection at Dior, John Galliano showcased sari-style wraps, cholis, and lehenga-inspired skirts, recontextualised through a dreamy, dramatic lens. It wasn’t about mimicking Indian fashion but elevating its fluidity in Dior’s own theatrical world.

Bibhu Mohapatra: Bridging Cultures With Every Collection

Unlike designers who dip into Indian elements for a season, Bibhu Mohapatra builds his entire practice around Indian textiles and techniques, reimagined for New York runways. Whether it’s Benarasi silks, zardozi, or subtle nods to temple architecture, his work represents what it looks like when Indian heritage meets global modernity without losing its roots.

The Prints, The Textiles, The Craft

And let’s not forget the embroidery, Indian techniques like gotta patti, zari, and mirrorwork have quietly shaped global embellishment trends for decades. Chanderi, Madhubani, and hand block prints have shown up in collections from high fashion to high street. You see bright hues and intricate florals on a Dolce & Gabbana skirt and think it’s just “maximalism”? Check again, it probably started somewhere in Jaipur, Rajasthan.

The Bindi Edit

It’s not just fashion houses, either. Pop culture’s elite, from Beyoncé and Gwen Stefani to Selena Gomez and Katy Perry, have donned bindis, maang tikkas, and desi silhouettes on stage and in music videos. While this has sparked justified conversations around cultural appropriation, it also underlines how influential Indian aesthetics truly are, even when misused or misunderstood.

Indian design isn’t just having a 'moment,' it has made moments, over and over again. From the ramp to the red carpet, from block prints to bindi couture, from the weave of a Chanderi sari to the structure of a Louis Vuitton trunk, India’s influence runs deep, deliberate, and immovable.

So, when global brands draw on Indian elements today, they’re not breaking new ground; they’re walking a path that’s already been paved in silk, gold thread, and centuries of tradition. And we’re still watching, not for validation, but for what they do next.