Kriti Magazine Editions

When I requested Ria for the cover story, she immediately replied with 'Omg Yes!'—which is all you want to hear from a bride. What followed is weeks of trust in each other and in technology, to bring the wedding story of Lilabare's incredible designer from the foothills of Mt. Kilimanjaro to the deltaic plains of West Bengal.

Every motif in her wedding lehenga tells a story: elephants representing both Ria's love for the animals and the Amboseli Park ecosystem where they married, on the border between Kenya and Tanzania. The location itself was chosen for its resonance—Ria's husband first came to Africa through Tanzania's Peace Corps, spending two years in a remote village before eventually making his way to Kenya and to her.

On the occasion of National Handloom Day 2025, the Government of India and Shri Giriraj Singh, Hon’ble Minister of Textiles, presented Gunjan Jain, founder of Vriksh Designs, with the prestigious National Handloom Award 2024 for Design Development in the Handloom Sector. She also received recognition from the Hon’ble President of India, Shrimati Droupadi Murmu, along with co-national awardees at the Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi.

The purple Paithani lehenga above with red temple motifs and hand-embroidered paisley designs demonstrates Asha Gautam's skill in combining multiple heritage elements. Paired with a Rangkaat Banarasi blouse and red Bandhani dupatta finished with zardozi-embroidered border, the ensemble brings together three distinct regional traditions from Maharashtra, Varanasi, Gujarat and Rajasthan—in sophisticated conversation rather than collision.

You may not have seen any Bengali man being called Babumoshai in real life, but you are surely missing something if you have not attended a Bengali wedding or a Baithaki Adda where the men are dressed impeccably in silk Panjabis, paired with dhutis pleated with precision and often, a regal shawl draped across one shoulder.

A friend once told me inter-state weddings in India are the finest cultural exchange programs. Having been fortunate to attend wedding ceremonies spanning multiple cultures across the country, I couldn’t agree more. Meenakshi and Thujesh—a modern conscious Indian couple—brought together the rich traditions from their native lands of Maharashtra and Kerala to begin a lifelong journey. Sumana: Did you follow specific cultural rituals during your wedding? Meenakshi & Thujesh : W

When you first experience an Amit GT creation, you might find yourself transported. Perhaps to a Parisian garden at dawn, or a Moroccan palace bathed in sunlight. This is the result of a designer who draws inspiration from both natural and human creations, while staying deeply connected to India's rich textile heritage.

Jaipur Rugs' Manchaha collection understands that what transforms a house into a home isn't just furniture placement or décor choices, but the presence of things that carry human intention within them. Each creation in the Manchaha collection represents the artistic vision of the artisan(s) involved, given complete freedom to create from imagination rather than instruction.

The Silk Chamber's Muga Heirloom Collection understands this quiet power. In curating their range of Muga silk pieces, they've resisted the urge to over-embellish or modernize beyond recognition. The collection trusts the fabric itself to do the speaking, which is precisely what Muga silk has always done best.

The wedding began with turmeric under fingernails and the scent of Earth thick in the morning air, a soft November light spilling across Gurugram and Delhi, where over three days an intimate, handcrafted celebration was created from the imagination of Anhad Bhullar Malhotra, the designer and founder of the Delhi-based label House of Hindee. Around the time she was gaining recognition for her refined understanding of textiles, Anhad was already designing her own wedding.

The rituals began the day before the wedding with Adhibas (aka Bastralankar), where the bride is gifted sarees and jewellery from the groom's side, and is then adorned with the traditional Shankhapola. This day felt significant as it was Surupa's last day as an unmarried woman with her friends and sisters. She mentioned a unique Bengali tradition where a decorated fish is sent from the groom's house, which must be cooked for their guests that day.

Swarna Raga Mekhela Sador - Striking red motifs reminiscent of precious rubies, contrasting beautifully with the golden base with intricate golden zari work on the borders and pallu.

The modern bride seeks designers who understand this evolved dynamic—who can dress her in couture that claims the spotlight she deserves while ensuring her closest confidantes shine alongside her without dilution or compromise. Enter Geisha Designs by Paras and Shalini, a luxury atelier that has decoded this complex equation with breathtaking precision, offering couture for both the bride and her squad that transforms wedding celebrations into curated ensembles of distincti

Whifflore crafts curated fragrances for the mindful modern home, transforming simple wax into evocative narratives. Rooted in time-honoured Kolkata rituals and a commitment to ethical sourcing, these exclusive, high-quality candles are designed to elevate your everyday moments into profound sensory experiences.

First is the Ganga Mantra—meaning the entire area, the place where the wedding takes place, is purified. Then Āchaman (sipping water), Viṣṇu Smaraṇa (remembering Vishnu)—our wedding ceremony begins by taking Vishnu as witness and bowing to Vishnu. Then Sūrya Praṇām (salutation to the Sun), and then Svasti Vāchan—to ensure the ceremony is performed successfully and beautifully, we recite Svasti Vāchan. After that, we have Ghaṭasthāpan (installation of the pot).

There exists a group of humans in our Universe who could be credited for filling up the cosmic RAM with consciousness. This Handloom edition is a series of conversations with a subset of such people, responsible for filtering out noise and adding meaning to our sartorial lives. Thanks to them, putting this together has been far from a challenge, making me wonder if ‘challenge’ itself has become a buzzword.

The first magazine I wanted to publish was named Reverie. It was going to be about Indian crafts, music and cuisine. A few close friends with diverse skills and interests kindly agreed to collaborate. Somehow, the idea of that magazine became more about what we miss about India while living abroad, than what we wanted to create as an experience for our readers.

The "Looms of the Land" saree collection speaks of traditional artisanship and contemporary design sensibilities, emerging from the collaborative efforts between the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Gandhinagar, and the Development Commissioner (Handlooms & Handicrafts). This project serves as a cornerstone initiative through NIFT’s Craft-based modules, designed to provide students with invaluable real-world exposure while fostering deeper connections with Ind

In this feature, we step into the world of such collections, where weavers not just weave a rug, but in reality, they turn into storytellers.

By Chahat Wahi, Contributor at Kriti Magazine In the Bhoi dialect, Kiniho means “these are the ones”. It is a phrase that asks us to pay...