"Reviving Heritage: The Brand Culture of Indian Wear in Contemporary India"

Abstract

This study examines how Indian traditional clothing is changing in relation to modern branding and consumer culture. The popularity of traditional clothing, including kurtas, lehengas, sarees, and handloom textiles, has significantly increased as globalisation and contemporary fashion trends impact Indian markets. Indian consumers' renewed cultural awareness and identity assertion are at the heart of this renaissance, which goes beyond simple aesthetics. In order to appeal to young people and the urban middle class, the study explores how Indian fashion brands are reinterpreting traditional clothing through the use of contemporary marketing techniques, digital platforms, and sustainable practices. It also looks at how regional heritage, storytelling, and craftsmanship have shaped the brand culture surrounding Indian clothing. These companies help to preserve India's rich textile heritage while forging globally competitive fashion identities by bridging the gap between tradition and modernity. In the current brand narratives of Indian fashion, the paper emphasises the importance of cultural sustainability and the economic empowerment of artisans. The branding and marketing of Indian clothing has undergone a paradigm shift in the Indian fashion industry, which has its roots in centuries-old textile heritage.  To preserve the Indianness of the world, numerous designers have incorporated Indian folk arts like Kalamkari, Madhubani, Warli, etc. into the fashion industry.  The development and perception of Indian ethnic clothing brands, as well as their cultural symbolism and deliberate blending of tradition and modernity, are all examined in this study.  This paper examines the cultural narratives, consumer behaviour, and branding strategies that influence Indian apparel in the domestic and international markets through case studies of brands like Fabindia, Biba, Manyavar, and Raw Mango.  Surveys and qualitative content analysis are used in the study to capture the sociocultural, technological, and economic elements driving this change.