The Safari Suit: How India Reclaimed a Colonial Relic
The British military garb shaped a newly independent country’s fashion — and redefined class, identity, and power.
Sneha Mehta
The Indian Couturiers Courting the West
Where do you go when you’ve already dressed the biggest stars in your country?
The Making of the Indian Rupee Symbol
Unlike other large economies, India took centuries to design a currency sign of its own. Was it worth the wait?
Have South Asian Weddings Reached Peak Pastel?
As actor Parineeti Chopra’s wedding photos went viral, many wondered where all the color had gone in subcontinental nuptials.
Dior and India: Couture Diplomacy or Culture Vulturism?
Dior’s Fall 2023 show in Mumbai seems like a win, but raises questions about the brand’s decades-long, extractive relationship with Indian artisans.
How “Jugaad” Became a Bad Word
Once a business buzzword, the Indian practice of makeshift, creative solutions is now — at times unfairly — associated with half-baked, shoddy work.
How Cartier Built an Empire by Claiming Indian and Islamic Art as its Own
The French luxury jewelry house has long appropriated Eastern influences, calling it aesthetic exchange.
How Fazlur Rahman Khan Engineered the Modern Skyscraper
The Bangladeshi American set the standard for tall buildings globally, from the Hancock Center to the Burj Khalifa.
Fabindia: How an American Founder Defined the Indian Aesthetic
John Bissell’s cult lifestyle brand has supported rural artisans for over 60 years. But will the company’s looming IPO put this very mission at risk?
How Ajay Bhatt, Co-Inventor of the USB Port, Became a Rockstar
Twenty-five years ago, the universal port changed computing as we know it — but the inventors never profited. We interviewed him to find out why that was intentional.
Art Deco: Mumbai's Architectural Tie to Miami
Despite nearly 9,000 miles separating the two cities, they are home to the largest concentration of Art Deco buildings in the world.
Controversial Sabyasachi H&M Collection Sells Out — What Gives?
The luxury Indian designer garnered criticism for partnering with the Swedish fast fashion label. His ready-to-wear collection sold out anyway.
How the Amul Girl Became India’s Conscience
The iconic butter brand’s take defined how Indians consumed news. But with less room for political dissent, the Amul girl has been holding her tongue.
How Matchboxes Became a Stand-in for Indian Visual Culture
The aesthetics of Indian matchbox covers have seen a resurgence as contemporary artists celebrate the work of designers who still remain largely unknown.
Decolonizing Design
A $100 laptop was supposed to change the world. Its failure reveals the dangers of the design and tech industry’s Western-centric conditioning.
The Kurta Makes its Fast-Fashion Debut
UNIQLO’s kurta collection popularizes the ancient South Asian garment, but also elicits mixed reactions.
Keeping Up with Cultural Appropriation
Are celebrities playing dress-up with South Asian fashion appropriating culture or celebrating culture? The problematic trend and corresponding debate hasn’t really gone away.
Why America’s Manhole Covers are “Made in India”
A simple inscription embedded in the streets of America’s cities reveals stories about global trade.
Taking Art to India’s Streets
Non-profit St+art India is transforming the country’s urban spaces, one wall at a time.
The Sari Crusaders
How creative interventions are reimagining the sari as a 21st-century garment.
India's Type Designers
How India’s digital boom led to a type design renaissance for the country’s diverse languages and scripts.
