How the West Stole Indian Fashion

Before tonight’s Met Gala, delve into the histories, hands, and heritages often left out of fashion credits. Designers have long been “inspired by” South Asia’s designs, embroidery, and textiles, yet ignored the artisans who shaped them. The Juggernaut has spent years tracing these threads. In this roundup, we’ve gathered 20 of our sharpest fashion deep dives — from the patent theft of paisley to the loss of Dhaka muslin. The British, and later Western fashion houses, didn’t just steal from the Indian subcontinent — they dismantled entire livelihoods, industries, and craft traditions. Before the Met Gala carpet unfurls tonight, dig into the stories that stitched it all together. If fashion is about storytelling, it’s time we stop erasing the original authors.