You may recall Kate Sharma (played by Simone Ashley) of Bridgerton. She, along with Edwina Sharma (Charithra Chandran) and Lady Mary Sharma (Shelley Conn), stood out for their outfits, featuring intricate embroidery and sari-inspired draping.
This wardrobe stood apart from the muted pastels of regency fashion, marked instead by rich colours, Indian prints, and traditional jewellery.
Layered with vibrant embroidery and embellishments, the outfits quietly celebrated Indian heritage.
And Bridgerton’s costume designer Sophie Canale shared in an interview with The Zoe Report that she “used lots of Indian silks in the cut of the Sharma family’s costumes for pashminas.”
She added, “I was inspired by Indian fashion and [the culture’s] jewelry. The accessories for both the Sharma daughters and their mother, Mary, stem from Indian designs -- intricate beadwork and the use of rose gold as a base.”
But while these textiles seem like they are making a comeback on screen, they were once the pride of India, driving global fashion as the world’s textile powerhouse.
By the 18th and 19th centuries, colonial policies had devastated Bengal’s muslin weavers and other Indian artisans.
Long before European colonial powers reshaped trade, India was globally dominant, exporting fine cottons, silks, and the legendary Bengal muslin to the world.
Textiles weren’t just cloth. They were a symbol of wealth, artistry, and innovation, defining trends across Europe and making India the center of the fashion universe.
But by the late 18th and early 19th centuries, due to colonial policies, skilled weavers were displaced, traditional techniques were suppressed, and India’s global dominance in fashion was erased.
Yet despite centuries of erasure, the artistry of Indian textiles lives on in the rich fabrics, embroidery, and draping seen in Bridgerton.
Costume designers subtly revive these techniques, letting Bengal muslin, vibrant silks, and intricate beadwork tell a story of India’s forgotten fashion legacy.