Whispers from Jodhpur: How the Bandhgala quietly took over the world

Somewhere between the soft scrape of a tailor’s chalk and the soundless breath of desert wind, the Jodhpuri Bandhgala began to speak. Not loudly, not in defiance, but in a quiet insistence that elegance, like memory, lives in detail. Years ago, in the ancestral corridors of Jodhpur, we found ourselves standing not merely before fabric, but before history. And instead of letting it gather dust, we chose to bring it forward—thread by thread, fit by fit.

At a time when Indian fashion was boxed into clichés, fixated to the Salwar Kamikazes or drowned in the chaos of mass production, the brand made a decision that few understood: to resurrect the impeccably tailored Bandhgala Jacket. Once worn by Royals, aristocrats & privileged, in processions and palaces, it was not seen as a costume, but as a second skin—something lived in, ritualistic, and deeply personal.

The world was slower then. But the vision was long-term. We first tailored the Bandhgala for women, sent it down 80s runways with quiet conviction, and later reimagined it for men—allowing it to enter the cultural fabric through cinema, worn by the likes of Mr. Amitabh Bachchan and Mr. Saif Ali Khan. Not as fashion, but as identity. What followed felt inevitable: when something so specific becomes universal, even global giants begin to take notice.

Because of its versatility, the Bandhgala jacket can be worn with jeans, styled as a formal suit, or even paired casually—as a standalone piece. Today, brands like Canali, Armani, and Stefano Ricci all tap into its marketable potential. They rename it, reshape it, and sell it from Tokyo to Toronto. Yet in every iteration, a ghost stitch remains—sewn quietly in Jodhpur. What others replicate, we continue to craft. What is studied abroad is lived experience here. The Raghavendra Rathore Jodhpur brand emerged as one of India’s first true luxury labels, long before being homegrown became aspirational. Zegna took note. Reliance partnered—a first of its kind. Yet the soul of the brand never left the atelier, where each Bandhgala is still cut not just for a body, but for a story.

The learnings from Zegna’s setup in Italy—from bespoke manufacturing to marketing and retail—truly expanded our understanding of what a bouquet of bespoke services could look like. It was a transformative experience for our management, and equally for me as a creative director, reinforcing our commitment to keeping the indigenous narrative alive, while evolving.

And that’s the quiet difference. The world may borrow the Bandhgala. But Jodhpur, always, will own it.

Views are personal. The author is a fashion designer.