Across BRICS+ countries, fashion is deeply connected to centuries-old textile and craft traditions. From African bogolán (mud cloth) and Indian hand weaving, to Brazilian lace-making and Russian embroidery, these practices are not just decorative arts. They are living cultural systems that support livelihoods, preserve identity, and sustain local economies.
As the global fashion industry confronts sustainability challenges, overproduction, and rising consumer awareness, traditional crafts in BRICS+ nations are emerging as a powerful and relevant alternative.
Why Craft Matters in Today’s Fashion Industry
Fashion is no longer judged only by trends or price points. Consumers increasingly look for meaning, transparency, and authenticity.
Traditional craft offers exactly that:
- Deep cultural narratives rooted in place and community
- Slower, more sustainable production methods
- Emotional value beyond mass-produced fashion
- Strong links between creativity, identity, and economy
Rather than being pushed aside by globalization, heritage fashion is being reimagined as a foundation for ethical and sustainable growth.
Craft as Cultural and Economic Capital in BRICS+
In several BRICS+ countries, traditional crafts play a central role in shaping contemporary design.
Russia
Traditional folk arts such as Gzhel and Khokhloma hold a unique place in Russian cultural identity. Their visual language and techniques are increasingly influencing modern fashion and product design, creating opportunities for:
- Regional economic development
- Preservation of cultural knowledge
- Alternative business models beyond mass production
India, Africa, and Latin America
Hand embroidery, weaving, and natural dyeing connect fashion directly to people and place. In contrast to fast fashion, these practices offer:
- Authenticity and craftsmanship
- Strong storytelling potential
- Sustainable livelihoods for artisan communities
In a global industry saturated with repetition, this authenticity becomes a competitive advantage.
Integrating Traditional Crafts into Modern Fashion
As BRICS+ fashion ecosystems evolve, key questions are shaping the conversation:
- Can traditional techniques form the base of modern collections?
- What is the value of manual labour in an age of automation?
- Can craft-based production challenge fast fashion models?
Across BRICS+ economies, designers are already exploring answers. By blending traditional skills with contemporary silhouettes, ethical production, and global market awareness, they are proving that tradition and innovation are not opposites, but partners.
Digital Technology and Craft Preservation
Technology is not replacing craft, it is helping protect and amplify it.
Key tools include:
- 3D modelling, allowing designers to reinterpret heritage forms with minimal waste.
- Blockchain technology, enabling authentication, traceability, and protection of cultural intellectual property.
These tools help document endangered techniques and present BRICS+ crafts globally without reducing them to simplified “ethnic” aesthetics.
Ethics, Fair Trade, and Craft-Led Economies
For craft to become a sustainable pillar of the fashion industry, ethical collaboration is essential.
A responsible craft ecosystem can:
- Generate rural and regional employment
- Preserve endangered textile traditions
- Strengthen local economies
- Offer a credible alternative to fast fashion
Fair compensation, transparent supply chains, and long-term partnerships between designers and artisans are critical to this model.
Craft on the Global Stage: BRICS+ Fashion & Lifestyle Summit India
Showcasing traditional crafts globally requires platforms that encourage dialogue, collaboration, and cultural sensitivity. The BRICS+ Fashion & Lifestyle Summit India provides such a space.
By bringing together designers, artisans, policymakers, technologists, and cultural leaders, the Summit highlights how heritage-led fashion, sustainability, digital innovation, and ethics can coexist within the modern fashion industry.
Looking Ahead
As fashion searches for resilience and relevance, traditional crafts across BRICS+ countries offer more than inspiration. They offer a roadmap for the future.
When culture, technology, and ethical collaboration align, craft becomes not a symbol of the past—but a strategy for sustainable, inclusive growth.
