Siddhant Agrawal On His Collection Rooted Veins And The Threads That Connect Us All

There’s a certain stillness that moves through Siddhant Agrawal’s world, the kind that exists in the space between light and shadow, between structure and softness. Since launching his eponymous label in 2019, the designer has built a reputation for sculpting emotion into form. His work is fearless, architectural, and deeply personal,  merging innovation with Indian craftsmanship in ways that feel both celestial and grounded.

With his latest collection, Rooted Veins, Agrawal turns his gaze inward. Inspired by the parallels between earthly root systems and cosmic constellations, the collection maps invisible lifelines, veins that connect the tangible and transcendental. We sat down with the designer to talk about the story behind the collection, his relationship with structure, and how patience and sustainability guide his craft.

ELLE: “Rooted Veins” feels like a dialogue between the earthly and the celestial. What first sparked this idea?

Siddhant Agrawal (SA): idea began with observing how life mirrors itself across dimensions — how root systems beneath the soil resemble constellations above. Both carry the pulse of existence, invisible yet omnipresent. Rooted Veins was born from that echo — from the desire to map the unseen lifelines that connect the earthly and the celestial, the tangible and the transcendental.

ELLE: The imagery of veins, both organic and cosmic, runs powerfully through the collection. What do they represent to you?

SA: Veins, to me, are metaphors of connection and continuity. They carry memory, energy, and emotion — whether in the body, the earth, or the cosmos. Each embroidered or sequined vein in this collection traces those silent pathways that bind us — the unseen architecture of life itself.

ELLE: You’ve often explored conceptual storytelling through your designs. How does Rooted Veins evolve your design language?

SA: This collection moves inward. My earlier work explored external drama; Rooted Veins explores internal resonance. The storytelling now lives in texture — in the way embroidery becomes topography, or how a seam transforms into a vein of movement. The silhouettes are sculptural but introspective — less about adornment, more about emotion held in structure.

ELLE: If you could describe the collection’s emotional landscape in three words, what would they be?

SA: Pulse. Lumen. Rootedness. They reflect the heartbeat beneath the surface, the glow within stillness, and the grounding that connects all creation.

ELLE: The craftsmanship is incredibly intricate — from sequined veining to embroidery. Which piece challenged you the most technically?

SA: The Ethereal Root Gown was among the most demanding to construct. It carries a delicate interplay of sheerness and structure — veins hand-embroidered with metallic threads trace through translucent layers of satin and tulle, creating a glowing anatomy of light. Every stitch had to flow with the body’s movement so the garment almost “breathes” as it’s worn.

The Ashen Bloom Jumper challenged us differently — it juxtaposes a matte woven base with raised, iridescent veining that blooms outward like roots breaking through soil. Translating that organic expansion into embroidery without losing precision or comfort required multiple sampling stages. Both pieces taught us patience — the kind that only comes when the garment starts to feel alive in your hands.

ELLE: How do you balance structure and fluidity when working with contrasting fabrics like Japanese satin and cotton tulle?

SA: I treat structure as the skeleton and fluidity as the breath. Fabrics like satin give discipline; tulle gives release. Through pattern manipulation, I let them converse — the seam lines act as veins, the drape becomes movement. It’s a constant choreography between tension and surrender.

ELLE: Many of your silhouettes feel architectural yet deeply organic. Is there a dialogue between the artisan and nature in your process?

SA: Yes — I see the artisan as a collaborator, not a mechanic. Nature suggests form and rhythm: root branching, coral fractals, constellations. The artisan listens — through hand, needle, thread — and responds. There’s a dialogue, a back-and-forth. We try, we fail, we rework. In that exchange, the fabric, the hand, and the motif converge. In Rooted Veins, the architecture comes alive precisely because the organic impulse is honoured — each seam, each embellishment, holds memory.

ELLE: Do you think couture can lead the way in redefining sustainability in Indian fashion?

SA: Absolutely. Couture already embodies time, care, and permanence. Sustainability, for me, isn’t a checklist — it’s an attitude. When a garment is made with intention, when it carries the touch of human hands, it resists obsolescence. Indian couture can lead by valuing emotional longevity — by making pieces meant to be remembered, not replaced.

ELLE: In a world of fast fashion, how do you sustain the patience and devotion required for work like this?

SA: Patience is at the heart of what we do. Every stitch, every layer is a meditation. My team and I find beauty in repetition — in the rhythm of quiet making. The devotion doesn’t need to be sustained; it sustains us. That slow unfolding is what makes each piece feel alive.

ELLE: What do you hope someone feels when they wear one of your pieces — especially something as emotionally rich as this collection?

SA: I hope they feel anchored and luminous. Anchored — as though the roots of their story are honoured. Luminous — as though light carries them forward. I want them to feel both seen and transformed, to carry an invisible pulse in their body. To feel like a living map — of memory, growth, resilience.

ELLE: What’s next for Siddhant Agrawal?

SA: We’re in the early stages of shaping the next story. While I can’t reveal much yet, we’re deeply focused on pushing the boundaries of materiality and tactile surfaces. The aim is to create something that not only pleases the eye but stirs emotion — a collection that will, I hope, blow people’s minds with its depth, storytelling, and craftsmanship. The garment, for me, is never static. It breathes, it listens, it evolves with the body that inhabits it.