With a legacy spanning over three decades, Shades of India has made a mark that many aspire to.
Some years ago, the well-heeled of Delhi would plan annual European sojourns and shell out copious amounts of money to do themselves and their homes up in the best way possible. Outsourcing was the only definition of luxury. Fortunately, things have changed in recent years. Gone are the days of impersonal and formulaic polished marble, shining metals, and surfaces that dazzle the eye. Now, luxury at one’s home is defined by warmth, a play with textures, and intricate and thoughtful details.
At the heart of this transformation are textiles with select homegrown brands taking charge. Shades of India stands out in particular. As Mandeep Nagi Housego, Creative Director of the brand puts it, “We don’t treat textiles as mere embellishments. They are the very essence of our design philosophy. Fabrics shape our daily rituals, from the quiet of sleep to the rhythm of movement. They infuse every space with warmth, character and emotion. Our creations weave together contemporary design and Indian handicraft through rich textures, layered techniques and natural fibres. Each handcrafted textile, with its gentle irregularities, carries the story of its maker, the passage of time and the imprint of human hands, becoming a cherished companion in everyday life.”
With a legacy spanning over three decades, Shades of India has made a mark that many aspire to. Housego’s work in particular has shaped a distinct design language in which textiles become a canvas to play with. She says, “Founded in 1992 with David Housego, Shades of India reflects a shared personal and professional engagement with textiles and a sustained commitment to adapting Indian craft traditions for contemporary, global lifestyles. While the brand first established itself internationally 34 years ago, its expansion into the Indian domestic market marked a natural progression of this vision, one that continues to evolve across fashion, home and living. Over time, Shades of India has expanded into bespoke residential and select hospitality projects. Working closely with architects, interior designers and clients, we translate the brand’s ethos into environments that are contemporary and restrained.”
Housego’s multidisciplinary education has helped hone her design perspective. She is a graduate of Delhi University, with formal training in fashion from the YWCA, a diploma in Fashion Merchandising from NIFT and an Executive Management Programme from IIM Ahmedabad.
When asked to explain her design philosophy, she responds, “It’s rooted in process and experimentation. Techniques are layered with deliberation, often combining texturing, printing and embroidery to create fabrics with depth, character, and complexity. This methodical yet intuitive approach enables clarity and consistency across scales, whether applied to a garment detail, a cushion surface, or a spatial textile installation. Central to my practice is a long-standing engagement with more than 200 artisans, including master weavers and craftspeople across India. Working together, David and I continue to evolve diverse textile traditions within contemporary frameworks, ensuring relevance while remaining grounded in skill, process, and integrity.”
“Shades of India has stood as the definitive bridge between Indian textile heritage and sophisticated, modern living for over three decades. The brand has pioneered a distinct, rich and vibrant Indian design language rooted in deep material understanding, technical mastery, and thoughtful design thinking. It continues to push the possibilities of textiles while never being swayed by passing trends. After all, true luxury means simplicity and quiet refinement rather than opulence,” she adds.
The story began with Chairman David Housego who collected textiles and crafts and made a name for himself as a connoisseur. With Mandeep Nagi Housego as Creative Director, a partnership of domain expertise and an intuitive design vision was born. Their collective knowledge and experience also led to them becoming regular collaborators on museum exhibitions across India.
At Shades of India Home, one can purchase curtains, bed linens, cushions, table linens, and textile art installations. To deepen its focus on interiors, the brand is launching a 3,500-square-foot experience centre in Delhi. Housego explains, “This will be a space that mirrors our personal sensibilities, where natural materials and simplicity become the language of unostentatious luxury. Here, textiles take centre stage, infusing every space with character, with each detail being intentional and the experience on offer being warm, layered, and truly lived-in.”
The brand also works closely with leading architects and interior designers globally to develop projects across residential, hospitality, and commercial sectors. Some examples include the Park Hotel in Delhi, the Taj Aravalli in Udaipur, and the Lotte New York Palace Hotel in Manhattan.
“At the heart of Shades of India is an in-house design team that draws deeply on the brand’s extensive archive of fabrics, techniques, and design history to create handcrafted textiles for purpose-made, versatile applications at every scale. With complete backward integration from sourcing through execution, the brand ensures authenticity and craftsmanship quality at every step. Each collection is shaped through a collaborative process that prioritises individual preference, resulting in layered textures, tactile depth, and timelessness. Central to the brand is an extensive network of artisans, master weavers, and craftspeople from across India, whose expertise and artistry bring the brand’s vision to life. It is this creative partnership between hand and material that gives Shades of India its unique design vocabulary, one that balances heritage and innovation, celebrates the nuances of texture, and infuses every piece with a sense of balance and quiet luxury,” says Housego, signing off.
Shades of India is headquartered in Delhi-NCR and enjoys a pan-India presence through select domestic and international retail partners, in addition to its own stores and website.
Noor Anand Chawla pens lifestyle articles for various publications and her blog www.nooranandchawla.com.
