Sangeeta Kilachand is making heritage dressing feel like the easiest decision you’ll make this wedding season

There’s a curious thing that happens when you wear something truly handmade. It doesn’t shout for attention. It doesn’t beg for the spotlight. And yet, the minute you walk into a room, there’s a shift. People can’t quite place it—it’s not the embellishment, or even the silhouette—it’s something deeper. A wearable archive of craftsmanship, curated with elegance and edge.

That’s the kind of magic Sangeeta Kilachand has built her brand on. At first glance, her pieces seem like polite nods to India’s textile traditions—zari borders, bandhani dots, delicate chikankari vines unfurling across soft ivory silks. But look closer, and you realise they’re not just retellings of the past. They’re interpretations as well. She takes age-old techniques and gives them new energy, not by altering the craft, but by changing how we wear it. The result? Clothes that feel reverent but relevant. And most importantly—pieces that live far beyond the bridal week.

So, whether you’re the bride, the sister, or the guest who refuses to look like everyone else in a bridal hallway full of sequins and feathered sleeves, consider this your cheat sheet to heritage dressing done right.

A crash course on craft

Let’s get one thing out of the way: this isn’t your textile theory class. But it helps to know that the crafts Kilachand works with—marodi, chikankari, bandhani, zari—aren’t decorative afterthoughts. They’re the backbone of her design process. And she doesn’t modernise them by shrinking their identity into trims and borders. She brings it alive across silhouettes that are relaxed but regal. But make no mistake: these aren’t pared-down pieces trying to pass off as “understated elegance.” They’re rich. They’re detailed. They’re drenched in craftsmanship. You’ll spot the marodi work glinting quietly along a sleeve cuff, or the mukaish catching light on a sheer dupatta. Think panelled kurtas that you’ll keep coming back to, dupattas that you will keep restyling.

Clothing with character

Kilachand’s work isn’t just about heritage techniques—it’s about heritage values. The idea that clothing should outlive a moment. That the same chikankari kurta you wore to your mehendi could resurface at your best friend’s roka ceremony. That the bandhani sharara set you twirled in on your wedding morning could become your go-to festive outfit down the line, worn with newer jewellery and a bolder lip.

Style with intention

What Kilachand proves, piece after piece, is that heritage dressing doesn’t need to feel historical. It can feel alive. It can move with you, adapt with you, reflect your personal style and story. And here’s a styling tip you didn’t know you needed: resist the urge to compete with embroidery. When you’re wearing something as detailed as hand-done zari or mukaish on organza, trust it. You don’t need statement earrings, a matha patti, ten bangles and a belt. Pair that intricately embroidered kurta with a sleek bun. Drape that handwoven dupatta over a crisp monotone co-ord. Add one heirloom ring and a killer pout. And the beauty of it? You could wear it to intimate at-home events as well as style it up for wedding festivities. Heritage done right is never overdone.

So the next time you reach for something that feels ‘traditional’, ask yourself—does it just look vintage, or does it carry the cultural weight? Does it simply mimic the cultural techniques, or brings it alive with detail and care? And most importantly—will you wear it once, or will it find you again and again across seasons and years? With Sangeeta Kilachand, the answer is almost always the latter. Because when you wear something made with such clarity of purpose, it shows.