In the ever-evolving landscape of luxury fashion, few labels manage to seamlessly intertwine social impact with impeccable design. Aadyam Handwoven stands apart as one such rare gem. Born in 2020 as a not-for-profit initiative, the brand is committed to preserving India’s centuries-old textile traditions while reimagining them for a contemporary audience.
Working closely with weaving clusters across the country — from the intricate pashmina artisans of Kashmir to the ikkat masters of Pochampally, the brocade specialists of Varanasi and the heritage-rich looms of Bhuj — Aadyam has cultivated more than just fabrics. It has fostered thriving micro-entrepreneurial ecosystems, ensuring artisans are supported not only with access to markets but also with infrastructure, design collaboration and, crucially, guaranteed year-round employment. The brand’s pledge to keep looms active 365 days a year, regardless of fluctuating trends or market demands, is central to its ethos.
From its flagship store in Delhi’s Khan Market, Aadyam has quietly but confidently entered the wardrobes of the discerning, catching the eye of several celebs including Shefali Shah, Tillotama Shome and Kalki Koechlin. We catch up with Manish Saksena, who directs the design language for the brand in product and communication and is also the business lead to find out more about their latest edits that are all set to release this weekend, in Bengaluru.
Tell us about the new edits?
We take inspiration from various facets. As wide as architecture, art and motif styles. This time our sari collection takes inspiration from the city of Chandigarh, the wetlands of the Sunderbans and the Chettinad region in Tamil Nadu. The symmetric architecture and grid formations of Chandigarh, the tropical flora and fauna of the Sunderbans; and the Spanish and French tiles of old Chettinad Mansions get translated into sari designs. We also have a home décor collection where our inspirations are as diverse as vintage wall paper motifs to nostalgia from old colour blocked geometrics that are reminiscent of the ’60s.
What can we expect?
Our home category includes a wide range of table linen and soft furnishings for living rooms such as cushions, table runners, dhurries and hand knotted carpets. Our off-the-loom category features saris, shawls, stoles and dupattas. We only work with handloom and natural yarns in cotton, silk, linen, pashmina and merino wool. We also sometimes use special fabrics like local Kutchi wool and brown cotton.
What’s next?
We work almost 6-8 months ahead of the season. At this point our SS ’26 is designed and on the looms. We will unveil it in January 2026. We also plan to add new variants such as Venkatgiri, Uppadda, Pulagurtha and Angara from Andhra Pradesh in this upcoming edit.
The sari edit is available at Ffolio, Vittal Mallya Road and online. The home décor edit is also available online.
Email: romal@newindianexpress.com
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