What you call ambi or buta on your mom’s saree or jutti, the West calls Paisley. But this mango-like motif isn’t just an art form-it’s a story of cultural takeover. Originating in Persia as a floral symbol of life and eternity, the buta evolved in India during the Mughal era into a beautiful curved plant design. Kashmiris wove it into their kani shawls, which became fashion statements in 18th-century Europe.

As demand soared, Scottish weavers in a town named Paisley cracked a way to copy it faster and cheaper using special looms. These machine-made shawls sold at a fraction of the price, giving the design a new name-Paisley. The West ran with it: from John Lennon’s Rolls-Royce to Gucci runways, paisley became their own.

Yet, behind every paisley print lies the Indian heritage they rarely credit. Today, luxury brands continue to repackage our roots-but history remembers the real origin: the East.