Think of handcrafted, luxury, designer ethnic wear and you think of Torani. Karan Torani’s label is an ode to Indian handlooms and craftsmanship, making it shine a tad brighter among a sea of similar brands. With the festive season already upon us, we can't help but scroll through Torani’s mesmerising collection of kurtas, salwar sets, anarkalis, lehengas and sarees made out of Indian textiles like velvet silk, chanderi, and silk. And drool! While this beloved brand continues to be a favourite, here are other ethnic wear brands available online that’ll rock your festive fashion #OOTD. And the best part? They’re across budgets, ranging from INR 2,500 to INR 26,000!
Love Torani? Then You’ll Love These Festive Fashion Brands Too
Punit Balana
The traditional storyteller is known for mixing ethnic and contemporary to suit the quintessential Indian on the hunt for comfortable and conscious fashion. The brand is an aesthetic fusion of Indian culture and modernism (much like Torani) which makes it highly sought after among celebs like Janhvi Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Karishma Kapoor, Aditi Rao Hydari and more. The ‘Intimate Weddings by Mandana’ collection is a fresh mix of bright cherry red, olive green colours and geometric and floral prints in lightweight, delicate and breezy fabrics embellished with traditional handcrafted work. The best part is that the brand is completely ethical, sustainable, handcrafted and home-grown.
LBB Pick: We can’t get over the ‘Muneer collection’ by Punit Balana that reflects understated elegance. The pieces are all of a natural colour palette of reds, pinks and yellows with floaty layers and relaxed yet elegant silhouettes.
Price: INR 13,500 upwards
Gajra Gang by Nykaa Fashion
Nykaa made its way into fashion with ease and soon announced a high quality, occasion-wear label. The name Gajra Gang encapsulates the idea of playfulness and experimentation in festive or occasion wear. We are all looking for ensembles that help us make a statement and signature looks. And with this Nykaa venture, the brand has seamlessly and fashionably fused contemporary with traditional. Made for the millennial generation, Gajra Gang by Nykaa Fashion has a variety of festive wear for women; from chanderi sarees with hand embroidered edges paired with contemporary cut sequined blouses to lehengas. Also find illusion off-shoulder blouses and asymmetrical tunics and long-length dresses. The pieces feature monotone chikankari and mukaish work that remind us of Torani’s signature scallop design and hand embroidery.
LBB Pick: We are fond of the ethnic skirts collection in brocade. These are hidden gems that are versatile enough to make you go completely traditional, contemporary or fusion!
Price: INR 2,250 upwards
Megha & Jigar
Artistic, stylish and utterly sophisticated; that’s how we see Megha Kumari and Jigar Mali’s namesake brand. With the goal of creating lighter pieces for us to be able to use on various occasions, the designers have captured the style and elegance in their pieces. What makes the brand stand out is the use of rich fine fabrics, traditional kaarigaris and embroidery and fine embellishments. The bridal lehengas and sarees are the quintessential faves for sure as there’s something for everyone!
LBB Pick: While everything they create gives Indian fusion a contemporary style, we adore the wide range of anarkalis. The vibrant Indian colours and detailed kaarigiri make it a must-have piece in ethnic wear for women.
Price: INR 26,650 upwards
Saaksha & Kinni
Saaksha & Kinni by the sister-sister-in-law duo Saaksha Bhat and Kinnari Kamat is all luxe-boho. Indian textiles, bold prints, and embroidery make it a stand-out brand. The collections include kurtas, dresses, lehengas, kaftans, skirts and so much more. The ‘Quad’ collection showcases dresses, saree dresses and skirts in chiffons and satin that play around with the rhombus shape and Gujarati and Rajasthani mirror and thread handwork in pinks, greys and greens. And their ‘Quad Man’ is the men’s festive wear version complete with remarkable shirts, trousers and jackets.
LBB Pick: Saaksha & Kinni’s lehengas are a delightful party of fresh colours like navy blue and orange, funky digital prints and intricate patterns inspired by the name of their line ‘Pixel’. We like the silhouettes that are flattering on every Indian woman.
Price: INR 5,000 upwards
Verb By Pallavi Singhee
Pallavi Singhee’s homegrown brand Verb is all things bohemian, ancient folklore and vintage aesthetics! With a medley of ethnic wear for women, the label perfectly captures the dreamy, free-spirited vibe of the new-age fashion-conscious Indian women. The ‘Caravan’ collection is especially delightful as it boasts a diverse range of vintage shades, tapestry and floral prints crafted out of chiffon, tulle, lace and poplin fabrics and presents intricate textures and embroidery.
LBB Pick: The Dhoti Sets by the brand have caught our eye with their stunning silhouettes like peplum kurtas and a unique colour palette that includes bright yellows and pinks as well as delicate powder blues.
Price: INR 22,000 upwards
Diya Rajvvir
If intricate, contemporary modern Indian ethnic wear makes you ‘Add To Cart’, then you need some Diya Rajvvir pieces in your life. The brand’s ethnic wear for men section is as big as the women’s. The designer duo’s sense of style is vibrant and their love of bold colours like tangerine orange and cyan blue, eclectic geometric and aztec prints and hints of romance. The label's ‘Rosette 2.0’ festive fashion collection is a pure bridal extravaganza in hues of pink and red. And while the colour theme might be familiar territory for brides, the shades like marsala, oxblood, rose, maroon in distinctive pieces like sharara sarees and tulle bodysuits with capes make it hatke! The dusty rose, old rose pink lehengas are reminiscent of Torani’s line of pastel palette lehengas that lure us in.
LBB Pick: We love the saree collection. Choose from pre-stitched, pant-style and more and sashay!
Price: INR 25,000 upwards
Indya
Headed by powerhouse women, Shivani Poddar & Tanvi Malik, Indya has a cult following and for all the right reasons. The brand does inexpensive, comfortable wedding wear like lehengas, tunics, kurtas, dupattas and more for those who prefer subtlety to reign supreme in fashion. While the line up of contemporary and new-age pieces crafted in lush fabrics like art silk and chanderi, laden with traditional embroideries like gota patti, and heritage bandhani, kalamkari prints and Moroccan motifs, with breathtaking details are beautiful, Indya’s non-blingy wedding wear that starts at INR 1,000 makes it a superhit (read all about it here)! Like Torani, Indya celebrates traditional Indian embroidery like chikankari.
LBB Pick: The ‘Luxe’ collection by Indya is ideal for the festive and wedding season. Pick anarkalis, lehengas, sharara sets and sarees in bold colours like sangria, mustard, peacock green, hot pink, emerald and more.
Price: INR 6,500 upwards
Pasha India
Dia Ajmera’s label Pasha creates occasion wear with simple yet complimentary silhouettes led by refreshing pastel colours and playful, flamboyant floral print. Get your hands on fusion and contemporary kurta sets, jumpsuits, co-ord sets, lehengas, sarees, dresses and more. What’s more, the brand has fun palazzo jumpsuits you can style in several glam ways (know all about it here). Achieve the mother daughter matching dresses look with the brand’s ‘like mother like daughter’ sets! One detail that gets this brand brownie points is being size inclusive like Torani.
LBB Pick: We are fond of the co-ord sets by Pasha India that are a playground for marvellous colours like coral and Persian blue and floral prints that express a classy charm.
Price: INR 3,850 upwards
LBB Tip: Have your festive season outfit sorted but lost on what to pair it with? We got your back. Grab a pair or two (or three, really) of juttis or mojaris and let them add chaar chaand to your wardrobe. Shop for some dazzling pairs of juttis or mojaris here!