Mumbai — For decades, Indian artisans have contributed to international luxury fashion largely out of the public spotlight. Mumbai-based Chanakya International is now seeking to make their work more visible.
The textile and embroidery house has collaborated with more than 50 international fashion brands, including Fendi, Dior, Gucci and Prada.
Chanakya gained a significantly higher public profile in 2023, when Dior and then-creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri drew attention to the company’s artisans during a major runway presentation in Mumbai.
The event helped spotlight craftsmen whose contributions had traditionally remained largely anonymous to consumers buying luxury fashion.
Chanakya specializes in textiles and embroidery, providing the intricate craftsmanship incorporated into collections by leading fashion houses. Its work reflects the extensive network of artisans and specialist workshops that often operates behind internationally recognized luxury labels.
The company’s growing visibility comes as the fashion industry continues to discuss attribution and recognition for craftspeople.
Luxury brands have increasingly faced questions about how artisans are credited for their contributions, particularly when traditional techniques and highly specialized craftsmanship become part of international collections.
Chanakya is among the prominent Indian ateliers working within that global fashion system.
Through collaborations with more than 50 international brands, the company has linked Mumbai’s craft industry with some of the biggest names in luxury fashion. Yet the artisans producing that work have historically received much less public attention than the labels featuring their craftsmanship.
The attention surrounding Chanakya is beginning to shift that dynamic.
Its partnership with Dior was especially notable because the Mumbai runway presentation openly emphasized the contribution of Indian artisans to the collection. Instead of treating their craftsmanship solely as an unseen part of production, the show helped draw attention to the people and skills responsible for the work.
For Chanakya, that recognition is part of a broader effort to change how Indian craftsmanship is viewed internationally.
The atelier’s work highlights that luxury fashion is not created only by designers whose names appear on clothing labels. Many collections also depend on networks of specialized craftspeople whose techniques can require years of training and experience.
Chanakya’s expanding profile is bringing those artisans closer to the center of the global fashion conversation.
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