In a world where fashion is constantly trying to out-weird itself, Western designers seem to have turned their curious eyes to India, not for its intricate embroidery or regal silks, but for utility items. Yes, the same jhola you carried sabzi in? That’s runway material now. Remember those brown bori trousers that looked like a cross between potato sacks and parachute pants? Those already made their way into Western malls, tagged “avant-garde.” But just when you thought fashion couldn’t get any more bizarre, in struts the pièce de resistance: a coat made from a Royal Basmati Rice bag, retailing in the US for a humble $1,950, that’s about ₹1.62 lakh (yes, your eyes are fine).
TikTok user Sachi Rajguroo deserves an award for investigative fashion journalism after she posted a video from a store in the US, stunned to discover this couture innovation, a full-length coat stitched from an actual Royal Basmati Rice sack. Yes, the same one your mum cuts and reuses to store onions or makes into a “doormat.” This version, however, is hanging on a boutique rack with a label that screams: “ONE OF A KIND.” And honestly, they’re not wrong. Who else thought rice packaging had this much potential?According to the tag, it’s not just fashion. It’s art. It’s sustainable, upcycled, and probably a metaphor for something deep, like “identity” or “globalisation” but we just see it and think, “Wait… is that my bag of chawal from 2014?”The coat’s design features the iconic Royal Basmati logo, which is now apparently more stylish than Louis Vuitton’s monogram. The original rice weight (“Net wt. 10lbs”) is still proudly displayed on the back like a badge of honour. We assume the model wearing it eats quinoa and has never cooked a grain of basmati in her life.What’s even more hilarious? This coat is priced higher than the actual cost of basmati rice for an entire village for six months. But hey, fashion hurts. And sometimes, it smells faintly of rice.
Social media, as expected, exploded. Comments ranged from “Is this peak fashion or peak satire?” to “I swear my grandma stitched this exact thing last year, where’s her royalty cheque?” Others were more practical: “At least if I get stuck in a blizzard, I can boil my coat.”We can’t wait to see what’s next in this growing trend of Desi Utility Meets Designer Drama. Perhaps a lehenga made of steel thalis? A turban constructed from biscuit wrappers? Or a bralette shaped from poppadum sheets? Honestly, nothing is off the table anymore, especially not the one with achar jars and spice dabbas.In the end, while we roll our eyes, part of us is weirdly proud. Somewhere between irony and innovation, our humble basmati bag just got a haute couture glow-up. And if someone in Brooklyn is strutting around in it, good for them. Just don’t blame us when it rains and the coat starts cooking.
