Alamelu, an Indian Luxury Ready-to-Wear Collection Aims to Make Inroads in U.S.

Alamelu, a new Indian luxury ready-to-wear house, is looking to make inroads into the U.S.

Launched in Bangalore, India in 2024, the brand was picked up by Printemps in France and many other multi-brand stores in France, and is looking to establish a foothold in the American market.

Alamelu was launched by creative director Radharaman Hari Kothandaraman whose family has been in the textile business for 600 years. Kothandaraman has been in business 20 years making clothing under the Advaya label exclusively for the Indian market. He owns his own factories in Bangalore.

He described his new women’s luxury collection as “not minimal,” but with a very clean aesthetic. “It’s for the modern woman who wants to pair things herself. It’s a collection of separates that are chic, classic, with attention to detail and very textile driven,” he said.

Alamelu is named after his great-grandmother, which in Indian means ” goddess of wealth,” but not just money, but wellness, progeny and happiness, he said.

His design approach is architectural and precise in its construction.

The fall collection, which has 60 pieces, features sharp, sculpted blazers, bomber jackets, high-waisted trousers and tailored coats, along with sheer blouses layered under textured ensembles. There are also bias-cut dresses, statement overcoats and refined separates. The collection transitions easily from day to evening. Many of the looks are 100 percent silk, along with wool-silks, silk-blended jacquards, finely textured wool-silks and sheer weaves.

The company, which showed privately in New York on Wednesday and Thursday at the Mark Hotel, held a small cocktail party to view the collection for stylists and industry friends Tuesday night, hosted by fashion consultant Fern Mallis.

Alamelu plans to show spring 2026 in late June/early July in Paris and will show another spring 2026 capsule in Paris in September

Kothandaraman said the woman who wears Alamelu is independent and quietly confident.

“The inspiration for launching Alamelu came from my deep desire to showcase the richness of India’s textile legacy through a modern design language. One of the core objectives of our brand is to create a global design label rooted in India offering a vocabulary that feels distinctly contemporary yet classic,” Kothandaraman said.