India, Jan. 26 -- For generations, fashion in India was not shaped by seasons or new drops. It was shaped by the loom, the needle and the dye vat. This Republic Day, designers say "patriotic dressing" is evolving. It is no longer just about wearing saffron, white and green, but about honouring ancestral techniques that have survived centuries. "What feels different today is not the presence of handicraft, but the way designers are choosing to foreground it," says stylist Isha Bhansali. "Rather than treating craft as a backdrop, many are placing it at the centre, allowing technique and process to speak for themselves."

Techniques like Kalamkari, Chikankari and Jamdani are not simply decorative motifs, but cultural identities stitched into...