India’s luxury landscape is shifting, and a more luxurious form of couture is emerging: one that is private and increasingly influential.
by
Vasudha Chanana
|
Jun 12, 2025
Share this article:
Fashion
As custom couture and archival fashion dominate red carpets this season, from the Cannes Film Festival, nestled on the sun-kissed shores of the French Riviera, to The Met Gala, in the heart of New York City—its clear exclusivity has continued to retain its status in fashion. But it’s no longer just celebrities commanding these moments. India’s luxury buyers are also gravitating towards a sartorial experience and a silhouette that feels sculpted uniquely for them. At the heart of this shift is private bespoke couture: intimate, invitation-only, and fast becoming the country’s most coveted luxury code.
A new intimacy in luxury
India’s luxury market has grown exponentially over the past decade, fuelled by a rising UHNI base. According to Bain & Company, the personal luxury market is expected to reach $200 billion by 2030, with couture and bespoke fashion playing a pivotal role.
This growth is directly tied to the booming wedding economy. Few moments have spotlighted the power of private bespoke couture in recent years more clearly than the wedding of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant. Spread across continents and featuring multiple designer looks, the event became a global visual showcase for Indian couture. Radhika Merchant alone wore over 15 custom ensembles for specific events across the festivities, from a Swarovski-studded Manish Malhotra lehenga to a haldi look crafted in fresh florals by Anamika Khanna and a regal Panetar by Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla.
As per the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), India is expected to host 48 lakh weddings before the end of 2024, generating business worth INR 6 lakh crore.
A significant share of this spend is going towards private bespoke couture, which reflects not only taste, but also stature. India’s wedding expenditure-to-GDP ratio, which stands at 5 times greater than most other countries spend on the ceremonies, only proves this shift. This massive sector extends beyond the ceremony itself, touching multiple segments of the fashion and luxury goods industries.
To further corroborate this, a joint study by Euromonitor and Technopak estimated that India's designer wear market, dominated by occasion and bridal couture, stood at INR 25,000 crore in 2023 and is expected to touch INR 45,000 crore by 2027. A significant chunk of this growth is attributed to private couture lines launched by major designers for UHNI clients. And with a UHNI population estimated to cross 1.4 million by 2026, as per Knight Frank, there’s certainly more to come for private bespoke couture.
Quote by
Rohit Gandhi & Rahul Khanna
“The creative process at RGRK becomes a deeply introspective exploration of form, material, and narrative,” said Gandhi and Khanna. “This approach allows us to infuse each piece with a design that becomes a reflection of the individual’s inner world, a private statement that transcends external expectations,” they added
How designers are shaping this experience
Hearing straight from the source, it’s safe to say that while mass couture is designed to be seen, private couture is designed to be felt. We get a glimpse behind the scenes from the designer duo, Rohit Gandhi and Rahul Khanna. “For our ultra-affluent clientele,” they note, “each ensemble is sculpted with precision.” “For our invitation-only clientele, we craft couture that reflects individuality with refined artistry. Every ensemble is a curated experience, layered with texture, and it is about radiating a distinctive presence”, they added.
Consultants catering to UHNIs also confirm the shift. “Today’s new luxury buyer wants something reflective, not performative,” says one luxury consultant. “These are garments meant to hold meaning, not just attention.”
Private bespoke couture offers something that few other categories of luxury can: gate-kept access and grandeur. These aren’t ensembles designed for mass attention; they’re made for private unveilings that are as tailored as the ensemble itself. The duo calls it “dressing to feel”: a phrase that captures the emotional shift shaping today’s luxury consumer.
Private couture thrives on invisibility in a fashion ecosystem dominated by visibility. It is made not for virality, but for resonance, and it doesn’t depend on algorithms for its relevance.
Still, digital platforms remain an ever-present part of the story, as tools of creative discovery. For brands offering bespoke experiences, platforms like Instagram can function less as mass broadcasters and more as curated gateways. “Instagram doesn’t have one algorithm that oversees what people see,” a Meta spokesperson explains. “Feed, Explore, Reels, each uses their algorithms tailored to how people use it. Content is first shown to a small group and scaled based on engagement.”
For designers working with UHNIs, this opens up a new kind of dialogue, one where storytelling and craftsmanship can quietly unfold through digital touchpoints, without being diluted by mass metrics. And within that space, private couture isn’t rejecting the feed, it’s simply rewriting the terms of engagement. “There’s a move toward more refined, intentional expression,” note Gandhi and Khanna. “Our clients today are more design-conscious, more curious, and far more engaged with the story behind each piece.”
What today’s luxury consumers are after
Fashion content creators like Aastha Shah, known for her styling and global luxury presence, have witnessed this from the inside. “I’ve seen private access; designers working one-on-one with people they’ve known for years. From my lens, it’s like watching something sacred. They’re not just capturing clothes, they’re capturing a relationship, a moment that wasn’t made for everyone,” said Shah.
For Shah, the draw of private label couture isn’t just exclusivity, it’s also an emotional experience. “Private label couture feels personal. It’s not trying to scream for attention, it’s more about quiet craftsmanship and deep connection. As someone who’s around both fashion and creators, it stands out because it’s less about trends and more about trust and storytelling,” said Shah.
Shah’s view carries over when it comes to styling or shooting private pieces. “When you wear something made just for you, it shifts everything. You feel seen. Styling it doesn’t feel like content, it feels like telling a piece of your story,” added Shah.
Design that isn’t built for the feed
“Fittings are more than just adjustments, moments of quiet calibration, where the garment begins to mirror our client’s energy and movement. Each step is rooted in precision and care. By the final fitting, the ensemble feels less like something made for the client, and more like something made of them,” Gandhi and Khanna summed up, poetically.
In an age where trend cycles are engineered for speed, these ateliers are doubling down on intent. “Our clients today are more design-conscious and far more engaged with the story behind each piece. They are seeking garments that carry depth, technique, and emotional resonance,” the duo added.
When asked if there’s a shift to homegrown designers against global fashion houses, the duo didn’t hesitate. “The shift from global fashion houses to Indian designers among India’s elite certainly speaks to a growing recognition of homegrown talent and a desire for deeper cultural connection”. They continued, “As India’s luxury market matures, Indian designers have the ability to blend global aesthetics with rich Indian craftsmanship, creating designs that resonate more personally with the Indian luxury consumer.”
What comes next
Private bespoke couture doesn’t chase the algorithm. It exists in a different register altogether. In a market saturated with seasonal trends, private couture mirrors in its permanence.
“At RGRK, we see private couture in India carving out a powerful space that’s both intimate and impactful. While its reach may remain selectively refined, its cultural influence is destined to grow massively as discerning audiences increasingly seek bespoke craftsmanship over mass-market ensembles. The future is one where private label couture transcends niche, becoming a defining force in the luxury fashion landscape,” they added.
Because in a fashion landscape headed for uniformity, couture’s latest noteworthy act may be creating something bespoke that no one else can buy.
Share this article:
Vasudha Chanana
Vasudha Chanana is a lifestyle journalist with a passion for themes across beauty, fashion, and culture. Her work spans publications such as Vogue India, Harper’s Bazaar India, Cosmopolitan India, among other global publications. With a keen eye on South Asia’s evolving luxury landscape, she strives to bring cultural depth and authenticity to her writing.
