How to buy well from a boutique clothing label in India
Written by Arti Kapur from the studio: what boutique and homegrown labels are, where to find them in Mumbai and Delhi, what kora cotton and hand embroidery are, and how made to order works. Sourced, dated and updated.
The best boutique clothing designers in India: how to find them and how to choose
What a boutique clothing designer in India really is, the four formats they sell through, five checks before you buy, 2026 price bands and where to look.
Buying guide · 2026Homegrown clothing brands in India: what the word really means, and how to buy from one
What homegrown should mean for an Indian clothing brand, the six markers that prove it, what it costs, how long it takes and how to buy from one.
City guide · Mumbai · 2026Boutique clothing stores in Mumbai: where to look, neighbourhood by neighbourhood
Where Mumbai's boutique clothing stores and designer studios cluster, what Kala Ghoda, Colaba and Bandra are each good for, and how studio labels sell.
City guide · Delhi · 2026Boutique clothing designers in Delhi: where the studios are and how to shop them
Shahpur Jat, Hauz Khas Village, Meherchand Market and the Dastkar Nature Bazaar: where Delhi's boutique clothing designers work, with hours and prices.
Cloth guide · 2026What is kora cotton? Unbleached cloth explained, from the loom to your wardrobe
Kora means unbleached. What kora cotton and greige cloth are, why they soften with washing, how much they shrink, how to wash them, and kora versus khadi.
Craft guide · 2026Hand embroidery, schiffli cutwork and hand block print: a buyer's guide to the techniques on the rail
How to tell hand embroidery from machine, what schiffli cutwork is, how chikankari and Jaipur block prints earned GI tags, and what each should cost.
Buying guide · 2026How made-to-order clothing works in India: sizing, timelines, returns and what to ask
What made to order means at an Indian studio label, how sizing is handled, how long pieces take, what returns look like and ten questions to ask first.