From ‘traditional’ to ‘timeless’: This footwear brand is all about celebrating India’s artistic legacy
Anaar, a luxury accessory brand, was started to reinvent the bridal footwear experience. While traditional Indian brides wear beautifully crafted lehengas and saris, their footwear options often don’t complement the grandeur of their attire. India’s rich textile heritage is celebrated worldwide, but footwear remains largely untapped in this space. Anaar wanted to change that by reimagining bridal and festive footwear in a way that was not only beautiful but also comfortable and deeply rooted in tradition. Founder Tanushri Biyani tells us more about the brand’s fun and fabulous collection.
All you need to know about Anaar’s embroidery footwear collection
Anaar is known for combining heritage and contemporary design. Can you walk us through the process of incorporating ancient embroidery techniques like zardozi and dabka pitta into modern footwear designs?
Our design process starts with an idea, often inspired by floral motifs, vintage textiles, or even architectural elements from India’s rich history. We then work closely with artisans who specialise in age-old techniques like zardozi, dabka pitta, and aari embroidery, ensuring that the intricacy of their craftsmanship is maintained while adapting it to footwear. Since shoes require durability and structure, we experiment with different base materials and embroidery techniques to ensure both aesthetic appeal and wearability. The result is a collection that feels opulent yet contemporary, allowing heritage to be worn in a fresh, modern way.
How do you ensure that the artisans involved in Anaar’s creations feel both empowered and supported throughout the production process?
Our artisans are at the heart of everything we do. We work with skilled craftspeople across India, ensuring they are paid fair wages and have access to consistent work. Beyond financial empowerment, we also focus on skill development, allowing artisans to explore new techniques and adapt their craft for a modern audience. Many of them come from generations of embroidery artists, and through Anaar, we strive to keep these traditions alive while giving them a global platform.
In a fast-fashion world, how do you balance luxury, sustainability, and craftsmanship in a way that feels both modern and timeless?
Luxury, for us, is not just about aesthetics—it’s about the time, skill, and soul that go into each piece. We prioritise small-batch production, ensuring minimal waste and focusing on quality over quantity. Our materials are consciously sourced, and we embrace slow fashion by creating timeless designs that aren’t trend-driven but rather heirloom-worthy. By combining heritage techniques with contemporary functionality, we ensure that every Anaar piece holds its value for years to come.
What role do you believe craftsmanship plays in the luxury fashion industry, and how do you think Anaar’s work can influence other brands to follow a similar path?
True luxury is rooted in craftsmanship. The ability to create something by hand, with skill passed down through generations, is what makes an item truly special. Anaar aims to highlight the value of artisanal work in an industry that often prioritises mass production. By proving that handcrafted footwear can be both luxurious and commercially viable, we hope to inspire more brands to invest in slow fashion and support India’s rich heritage of craftsmanship.
How do you approach the design process for each collection, especially when you’re working with intricate techniques like resham and zari embroidery?
Anaar is rooted in tradition but designed for modern styling. Each shoe at Anaar is an ode to traditional Indian craftsmanship with heritage embroideries like zardozi, aari using the most luxe materials. The process of designing each piece is where we experiment, explore, and tell stories. Since these techniques are traditionally used on fabrics, we collaborate closely with artisans to adapt them for footwear, refining stitches and materials to ensure durability while maintaining the essence of hand embroidery. Our creative thinking hats and shoemaking tools are accessories we swear by. We want our footwear to evoke emotions, start conversations, and accompany you to many ‘happily ever-afters’.
What challenges have you faced in reviving traditional crafts, and how have you managed to keep these practices alive while adapting them to the global market?
One of the biggest challenges has been ensuring that traditional craftsmanship remains relevant in a fast-paced, ever-changing fashion landscape. Many artisans have moved away from embroidery due to a lack of demand and fair wages. At Anaar, we work on bridging this gap by modernising designs while preserving technique, making them appealing to a younger, global audience. Another challenge has been scalability—handcrafted pieces take time and precision, and balancing demand with the slow nature of our work is something we navigate daily.
As someone who values the intersection of art, culture, and fashion, how do you see Anaar’s role in contributing to a larger cultural movement, especially in terms of global awareness of Indian heritage?
Anaar is more than just a footwear brand—it’s a celebration of India’s artistic legacy. By creating products that tell a story, we’re helping to redefine how Indian craftsmanship is perceived globally. Whether through collaborations, events, or simply by making artisanal footwear a part of people’s everyday lives, we hope to shift the narrative from ‘traditional’ to ‘timeless’. We want to see Indian embroidery techniques celebrated alongside global luxury houses, not just as a niche craft but as an essential part of fashion history.
Price starts at INR 4,495.
Available online.
Email: rupam@newindianexpress.com
X: @rupsjain
