Samant Chauhan’s Tracing The Silk Route, unveiled at Lakmē Fashion Week, unfolded less like a conventional showcase and more like a journey – one that traversed cultures, craft lineages, and time. Inspired by the historic Silk Route, the collection reflects an exchange of textiles and traditions, anchored in the pure, enduring essence of silk.
At its core lies Bhagalpur – often regarded as India’s silk city – which becomes both muse and material reference point. Chauhan delves into the region’s rich craft clusters, exploring the raw, unembellished beauty of handspun silk. What may appear effortless on the surface is underpinned by intricate processes – mixing varied silk yarns and employing nuanced fabric treatments to create depth within a single garment.
Interwoven threads and layered silk surfaces – matte, raw, and fluid – build a tactile narrative that is both restrained and richly expressive. The result is a nuanced take on occasionwear – one that feels grounded in tradition while remaining unapologetically current.
We caught up with the designer to delve deeper into the ideas shaping the collection and the story it seeks to tell.
FL: Tracing The Silk Route is imagined as both a physical and cultural journey. Which narratives, regions, or craft encounters most meaningfully informed the direction of this collection?
SC: For me, the journey has always been deeply rooted in Bhagalpur. Working with Bhagalpur silk from the early GP collection at NIFT, I realised its potential at a time when it was largely overlooked in fashion because of its raw, slightly coarse texture and was mostly used in upholstery. That very quality is what drew me to it. This collection reflects that ongoing journey – of recognising value in what already exists but hasn’t been fully explored. Even in our couture, Bhagalpur silk has remained central, and I’ve always chosen to retain its honesty, often leaving edges raw and allowing the fabric to stay true to its nature.
Beyond geography, the narrative is about craft itself – working closely with artisans, giving importance to their process, and building long-term relationships. It’s less about discovering something new and more about continuously engaging with heritage in a more meaningful and evolved way.
FL: Bhagalpur silk sits at the heart of the offering. What drew you to explore its pure, handspun form this season, and how did working closely with craft clusters shape the final textiles?
SC: Bhagalpur silk was never really explored in fashion earlier – it was largely used for upholstery because of its coarse, uneven texture. What drew me to it was exactly that rawness. It wasn’t as smooth or predictable as other silks, and that imperfection felt more real and honest. Working with its pure, handspun form allowed us to embrace those irregularities – the slight variations in texture, density, and finish that you can’t achieve industrially. Instead of refining them, we chose to highlight them. Collaborating closely with the craft clusters was key to this process. It became a continuous dialogue – understanding the yarn, experimenting with different handspun qualities, and allowing these variations to exist within the same textile. The result is a fabric that feels more alive, with each surface carrying its own character.
FL: The collection brings together matte, raw, and fluid silk surfaces within a single look. Could you walk us through the textile treatments and layering techniques that make this interplay of textures possible?
SC: The approach was to build the garment through textiles rather than surface embellishment. We worked with Bhagalpur silk in its different states – keeping some surfaces raw and matte, while allowing others to remain softer and more fluid. A lot of this comes from how the fabric is handled and developed at the source. By working closely with the artisans, we were able to experiment with yarns, weaves, and finishes, letting the natural irregularities of handspun silk create contrast within the same look. Within the studio, we further layered these surfaces using techniques like patchwork, dori work, and subtle cording, sometimes even reworking leftover textiles into new textures such as crushed Chanderi. The idea was to let these varied silk surfaces coexist, creating depth and interplay without taking away from the fabric’s inherent character.
FL: With a largely tone-on-tone palette and subtle contrasts, texture becomes the primary storyteller. How did you approach creating visual depth and movement without relying on colour or embellishment?
SC: The idea was always to go back to the purity of the fabric. Early on, the brand worked a lot with natural tones – whites, off-whites, blacks – without dyeing, allowing the textile to exist in its most honest form. Over time, with changing trends and client needs, colour became part of the language, but this collection was about returning to that original thought. By keeping the palette minimal, the focus naturally shifts to texture – the rawness of silk, the irregularity of khadi, the way each fabric holds and reflects light differently. Depth and movement come not from colour or embellishment, but from the fabric itself – its surface, its fall, and its inherent character.
FL: Translating a heritage textile like Bhagalpur silk into contemporary silhouettes often requires a shift in thinking. What were the key design decisions that helped modernise the fabric while retaining its authenticity?
SC: For me, the shift was more about restraint than intervention. Bhagalpur silk has a very honest, raw character, and I didn’t want to over-refine or alter that. Instead of trying to make it smoother or more polished, I chose to retain its natural texture – even leaving edges raw at times. The modernity comes through the silhouette and construction. By placing this traditional textile into more structured, contemporary forms, it naturally finds a new relevance. The idea was to let the fabric stay authentic to its origin, while the design language around it evolves.
FL: This collection prioritises textile exploration over surface ornamentation. Does this signal a longer-term evolution in your design language and how you envision craft-led luxury today?
SC: Yes, in many ways it does. There is a growing need to move beyond visible ornamentation and engage more deeply with the material itself. Craft-led luxury today, we believe, lies in the process – in the time, skill, and thought invested into creating the textile. This collection is a step towards that direction, where the richness comes from within the fabric rather than what is added onto it. It’s a quieter approach, but one that feels more lasting and relevant.
Image Courtesy: Samant Chauhan / Instagram
What a fascinating exploration of Bhagalpur’s silk heritage! The way Chauhan transforms raw handspun silk into contemporary occasionwear mirrors how traditional craftsmanship evolves. Just as artisans layer silk textures to create depth, platforms like jiliaaa games layer modern experiences with time-honored entertainment traditions, creating engaging digital journeys.
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