India has more brands calling themselves handmade than any other country. Most of them are not. The word has become marketing shorthand for anything that is not fully machine-produced — which is almost nothing.
Here is what genuine handcraft looks like, and what to look for when you are buying from any brand that claims it.
What genuine handmade clothing means
Real handcraft in clothing means a person's hands were involved in making the piece — not just in attaching a label or packing a box. At HOH, handmade means the detail work is applied by hand: sequins sewn one at a time, embroidery placed by artisans, lace cut and positioned individually.
This is different from handwoven fabric — which Fabindia specialises in — where the craft is in the textile rather than the garment construction. Both are legitimate. They are different things.
What to look for
Three things identify a genuine handmade clothing brand.
First: limited quantities. Real handcraft takes time. A brand producing hundreds of units of the same piece simultaneously is not doing it by hand. HOH produces each design in one small batch. When the batch is gone, the design is retired.
Second: specific description of what is handmade. Not just the word. What, specifically, is done by hand? At HOH the answer is: the sequin work, the embroidery, the lace application, the schiffly. These are named and specific.
Third: variation between pieces. Machine production is perfectly uniform. Genuine hand application varies slightly between pieces — lace placement, sequin angle, embroidery tension. This is a feature, not a defect.
The Indian handmade clothing landscape
The main players in genuine Indian handcraft women's fashion: Fabindia (handwoven textiles at scale), Anita Dongre (artisan collaboration, high price point), Nicobar (design-led, contemporary), and Haus of Handmade (small-batch hand-applied detail work, premium without luxury pricing).
Each occupies a different part of the space. HOH specifically focuses on hand-applied decorative detail — sequins, embroidery, lace — on contemporary silhouettes at the ₹3,500–₹6,800 price point.
Why it matters
A genuinely handmade piece lasts differently from a machine-made one. The detail work does not come loose the same way. The fabric is chosen for quality, not cost. The piece has been looked at — by a person, more than once — before it reached you.
Browse the full HOH collection: handmade tops, handmade dresses, co-ord sets, cape jackets. Free shipping across India.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a handmade clothing brand?
A genuine handmade clothing brand is one where a person's hands are directly involved in making each piece — not just in packing or labelling. Look for limited quantities, specific description of what is handmade, and slight natural variation between pieces.
Which is the best handmade clothing brand in India?
The answer depends on what you are looking for. Fabindia for handwoven textiles. Anita Dongre for artisan collaboration at a luxury price point. Nicobar for contemporary minimalist design. Haus of Handmade for hand-applied decorative detail work on contemporary silhouettes at a premium price point.
Is Haus of Handmade a genuine handmade brand?
Yes. Every HOH piece has detail work applied by hand — sequins sewn individually, embroidery placed by artisans, lace cut and positioned piece by piece. Production runs in small batches in our Noida atelier. When a batch is gone, the design is retired.