These new Swadesh collabs deserve a spot in your festive rotation

If there was ever a fashion matchmaker, Swadesh would be in the running for the title. Over the last couple of years, the craft-forward retailer has been pairing designers with its extensive network of weavers, embroiderers, and artisans across India, resulting in some rather fascinating fashion experiments. In the past, we’ve seen Manish Malhotra, Gaurav Gupta, Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla, and even Dilara Findikoglu work with Swadesh on headline-making, one-off red-carpet creations.

On the ready-to-wear front, Eka, Kshitij Jalori, and Pooja Keyur have all had their turn reinterpreting their signatures through Swadesh’s textiles, while the more recent collection with Mayyur Girotra made a convincing case for wearing patola, ikat, and zardozi all at once. Each collection still bears each designer’s unmistakable stamp, just seen through Swadesh’s craft-centric lens.

Now, with the festive season in full swing, Swadesh has added three more names to its expanding roster of collaborators.

To celebrate the first anniversary of its Mumbai flagship at the iconic Eros building, the retailer has rolled out new festive capsules with Arjan Dugal, Debyani, and Monisha Jaising. Between understated tailoring, unabashed maximalism, and easy daytime dressing, each designer offers a different approach to getting dressed for the festivities. If you’re only just getting around to sorting out your Pujo-Diwali-shaadi season wardrobe, consider this the perfect place to start.

Swadesh x Arjan Dugal

Not every occasion calls for an over-the-top ensemble, and Arjan Dugal is making an argument for keeping things low-key. The menswear designer’s collection with Swadesh trades heavily embellished occasionwear for relaxed tailoring and easy silhouettes. Here, khadi, matka silk, and Indian mulberry silk woven by Swadesh’s artisans are worked into pared-back sleeveless jackets, semi-formal bandhgalas, kurtas, double-pleated wide-leg trousers, and dhoti pants.

The colours are soft and muted, with Benarasi brocade and ikat serving as accents. Dugal was keen on giving the traditional menswear occasion wardrobe an update. “Traditional kurta-pajamas are a bit rudimentary. We wanted to breathe a new life and image into them,” he says. “It’s subtle and will turn enough heads without being obnoxiously in your face.” In other words, the perfect wardrobe for minimalists who’d rather not blend with the decor.

Swadesh x Debyani

If subtlety isn’t your thing, Debyani Malhotra has you covered. Her collection is a riot of festive brights—fiery reds, magentas, emerald greens, and golds—with no shortage of embellishment. The pieces bring together bandhani and block-print motifs inspired by Indo-Islamic architecture and multiple craft forms, like kalamkari appliqué, colourful thread and beadwork, intricate zardozi, and latkans, layered onto each piece.

There’s a lot happening on each garment, but even more before it’s finished. “After dyeing, there is so much layering that happens with the block prints and embroidery. The fabric changes multiple hands before it is even ready to stitch,” says Malhotra of the elaborate process that involves working with multiple artisans and techniques. The silhouettes—ranging from kaftans, dresses with dhoti pants, and Pakistani choga-style kurtas—are equally eclectic. If you have a card party on your calendar that calls for dressing up properly, this one’s for you.

Swadesh x Monisha Jaising

Who says florals are just for spring? With ‘The Royal Gardens’, Monisha Jaising takes inspiration from Rajasthan’s lush gardens and the ornamental motifs of the Mughal era. The colour palette, too, is a love letter to two of the state’s most beloved cities: Jaipur pink and Jodhpur blue.

But beyond the pretty prints, the collection is a meeting of two textile traditions. Chanderi woven in Varanasi travels to Sanganer, where artisans do block printing on the fabrics by hand before finishing them with richly woven Benarasi borders. “Working closely with Swadesh’s artisan clusters in Rajasthan and Benaras allowed us to bring together two remarkable textile traditions in a way that feels both authentic and contemporary,” says Jaising. The fabrics find their way into easy sets of kurtis, dhoti pants, and shararas that strike a nice balance between casual and dressed up. They’re the sort of pieces you’d easily reach for when there’s a pooja at home, a festive lunch, or an intimate gathering without feeling underdressed or like you’ve gone overboard. You’re welcome.