Sanjay Garg on reimagining Indian luxury and the unions behind his new collection
Arriving just in time for the festive season, the latest collection by Raw Mango explores unions of different kinds. Sanjay Garg, the designer behind the brand, has once again woven magic in Once Upon a River, creating a dreamlike vision of celebration and connection.
The art of layered ornamentation in brocade
Layers of ornamentation are embedded in the brocade of these garments. Weaving (bunai) and hand embroidery (kadhai), traditionally considered independent crafts, are brought together. Threads of real zari flow like ripples on water. Reminiscent of a half-remembered dream, this collection is an invitation for brides, grooms, and their extended families to express themselves in their own unique form.
Once Upon a River is rich in symbolism. What was the starting point?
The starting point—like all our collections—was to explore the possibilities within textile and technique. The idea of unions was shaped by the coming together of bunai and kadhai in the fabrics this season.
The merging of bunai and kadhai is, indeed, an evolution of Indian textile traditions.
For craft to survive, it needs periodic design interventions—within the craft itself—while staying true to its roots. I also believe that overselling the “craft story” often turns into emotional blackmail: appealing to sentiment rather than design. At the end of the day, a product must be a blend of design, craft, and quality.
With every collection, we try to introduce something new. It’s an opportunity to innovate within textiles. Raw Mango is not so much about the revival of textiles as it is about imagining textile futures—constantly pushing the boundaries of what’s possible within the language of craft. In this collection, we’ve seamlessly brought together kadhai and bunai. Our garments have always leaned toward weightless ornamentation—introducing new motifs and techniques within the weave—but in this collection, ornamentation takes on a more prominent role. The tactile embroidery on brocade gives the textiles a more ornate, celebratory feeling.
With Laheriya, we reinterpreted the visual vocabulary of traditional turbans, using layered colours and the tie-dye technique to create festive textiles. In Agama, we introduced Ikat Mashru—a textile from the Deccan—into our design language, producing saris and outerwear. These are just a few recent interventions. In Children of the Night, the pallu becomes the blouse, or we’ve woven Varanasi brocade with lycra on the handloom to imagine what a knit might look like if made traditionally.
Can you talk about the technical challenges or breakthroughs in layering ornamentation directly into the brocade?
We engineered the brocade so that when it’s later embroidered, the weave itself becomes part of the ornamentation. The design challenge was to ensure the brocade supports the embroidery—and vice versa. The result is textiles rich in detail, yet light and easy to wear.
How do you see the definition of “luxury” evolving in Indian fashion, especially bridalwear?
To me, luxury lies in experience and personal context. It’s not just about material, price, or quality. The product itself is rarely the core of that luxury—because five minutes after acquiring it, we’re often looking for something else.
To say that heavy embroidery is luxury, or that a red sari is more luxurious than a black one, is to ignore the role of context. Luxury can even be a dress made of paper, worn only once. The concept is becoming more personal, especially in moments like weddings, where people want to celebrate in ways that reflect their individuality. Anything that helps you do that becomes your version of luxury.
Price on request. Available online.
—manuvipin@newindianexpress.com
@ManuVipin
For more updates, join/follow our WhatsApp, Telegram and YouTube channels.
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vb677uz60eBXiDYheb0n
