How the angrakha went from courtly classic to contemporary staple

Angelique Raina, founder of Acquire, a label synonymous with smocked, textural ready-to-wear, is fascinated by the angrakha silhouette for its fabric-agnostic disposition. “Noble or silhouette in both cases,” she shares. Over the months, Raina has played with the silhouette with an iterative approach, introducing crisp polins, lustrous satins and even metallic yarn—making it a signature piece in the brand’s lexicon.

With its origins in menswear, the angrakha has travelled a curious path, turning into an androgynous garment favoured by all. Santanu Das, founder of Kolkata-based label Maku, is known for fashioning Bengal’s varied textile repertoire into minimal, classic garments. The angrakha is a recurring silhouette, one he has spent years perfecting, realising it into gathered dresses in wispy jamdani and textured wool, beginning with his first iteration in 2016. “When we began crafting these for women, we wanted to maintain the inherent sensuality but only wanted it to expose a sliver of the shoulder or collarbone when she stretched, so these openings were customised to be more svelte, in a slanted eye shape. Despite its tactile softness, this silhouette symbolises a sense of resilience, like a warrior.”