From Tarun Tahiliani to Ashish Soni, Pankaj Nidhi and Rina Dhaka, the 25th edition of Lakmē Fashion Week, jointly organised by Lakmē and RISE Worldwide in partnership with the Fashion Design Council of India, presented five days of runway shows exhibiting textile craft, modern design aesthetic, and high-wattage celebrity power.
Tarun Tahiliani closes Lakmē Fashion Week
Held at The Grand New Delhi, Lakmé Fashion Week was a five-day celebration of fashion, textile craft, and contemporary design; a showcase of India’s rich sartorial heritage and sustainable fashion. Jointly organised by Lakmé and RISE Worldwide, in partnership with the Fashion Design Council of India, this iconic event brought together both the masters and emerging talent.
The runway became a canvas for designers such as Tarun Tahiliani, Ashish Soni, Suneet Varma, Ravi Bajaj, Rina Dhaka, Pankaj and Nidhi, Shantanu and Nikhil, each presenting collections that fused traditional craftsmanship with cutting-edge design and an eco-conscious ethos. From black-tie couture to upcycled fashion, Lakmé Fashion Week was a tribute to the art of sustainable luxury and a platform for the future of fashion — where creativity meets responsibility.
Lakmē Fashion Week Top Shows
House of Lakmē Grand Finale x Tarun Tahiliani
The House of Lakmē Grand Finale x Tarun Tahiliani closed this edition of Lakmē Fashion Week. Tahiliani’s ‘Bejeweled’ showcased his aesthetic of India Modern — a term he is associated with for his contemporary presentation of traditional Indian craftsmanship.The show opened with black-and-gold armour jackets, jewel-printed bombers, and kimono-style silhouettes that fused Indian textile craft with a contemporary design aesthetic before it moved on to classic occasionwear.
‘Ironically as it sounds, the stillness of the Pandemic gave me and the studio time to revisit what we do, and think about how to technically, movement wise and flow wise, make it experiential rather than just dazzling discomfort,’ he once said. ‘We are also of the firm belief that a thing of beauty is a joy forever, and creating exquisite clothes that feel like skin are part of sustainable fashion because then one will wear them again and again, value them, and pass them on!’
Abraham and Thakore
Abraham and Thakore — founded by David Abraham and Rakesh Thakore — is acclaimed for the eco-conscious handcrafted textiles and astringent futurism that characterises their collections. Casual elegance ruled their runway— languid and layered, with architectural precision. Even with a muted palette, the duo commanded attention with classic silhouettes enhanced by bold textures—and theatrical make-up.
In sync with a vision to keep traditional handmade goods desirable they showcased bandhgalas, bundis and kurtas with subtle surface work for men. Womenswear was enhanced with sequins, metallics and embroidery. What did we love? Their commitment to classic silhouettes evocative of their belief that trends need not be transient. And, integration of traditional craft into modern design that in turn creates employment opportunities for small craft clusters. In this case, Ikat is woven in Tencel.
Rina Dhaka
While a brooding, intellectual quality evolved as the hallmark of 80s designers, Rina Dhaka always balanced it with a “style vs. sexiness” aesthetic. Her clientele includes Naomi Campbell and Uma Thurman, to name a few, so there was feverish anticipation for her show at Lakmē Fashion Week. A confluence of tradition, modern design, and sensuality, Rina Dhaka masterfully combined traditional crafts, plissé textures, hand embroidery and waste materials for an “Out of Africa” nostalgic vibe. We loved the way she created a globally relevant collection using eco-friendly, zero-carbon-waste and pesticide-free materials!
Samant Chauhan
Samant Chauhan at Lakmē Fashion Week worked on the axis of slow luxury — opulent, handcrafted and with classic embellishment. The designer showcased architectural armour-like silhouettes in rich silks, with hand-set Swarovski crystals. The inspiration draws from the struggles of our time: the silent battles of identity, the hum of consumerism, and environmental decline. Every silhouette; sharp, elongated, and cinched, conveyed discipline, power and resilience, while the embroidery reveals vulnerability and beauty that insists on being seen. Each look was majestic and this showing was about the delightful showmanship that we have come to expect from Samant Chauhan!
Ashish Soni
R | Elan X Ashish Soni at Lakmē Fashion Week in partnership with FDCI reimagined black-tie elegance through the lens of sculptural modernity. Set in The Soirée at the Grand Budapest Hotel, where sharp tailoring meets quiet drama, tuxedos, evening gowns with sculpted shoulders and cinched waists, and wide-leg trousers bring together sharp tailoring, futuristic fabrics, and cinematic elegance. Crafted in partnership with R|Elan, the collection uses advanced fabrics like Green Gold, Feel Fresh and Eco Gold, combining lightness, breathability and movement with couture-level construction. It was a fashion renaissance with creativity, theatricality and brilliantly wearable garments.
Pankaj Nidhi
Pankaj and Nidhi’s futuristic showcase, Araquis, reimagined eveningwear for a world where elegance meets armor. The duo paired Chanderi and Mulmul blouses with denim minis, lace gloves, crochet jumpers, raffia totes and floral belts — with focus on comfort, wearability and versatility. The evening gowns and structured jackets were borderline couture and brought to mind a past conversation with them: ‘The expensive pieces have intricate design whereas the inexpensive pieces have smaller, intricate design. For us, this blurring of boundaries between ready-to-wear and couture is quite interesting. That’s just the way we design them. It wasn’t a conscious effort to do this or that’.
Shantnu Nikhil Couture
Inspired by the 1930s cinematic glamour, Shantnu and Nikhil celebrated seduction and power. Critically acclaimed for rewriting the codes of Indian menswear, their first all-womenswear couture showcase featured evening gowns with structured drapes, pearl-studded embroideries, crystal cascades, and metallic accents.
Shantnu and Nikhil have never wanted their aesthetic to be bound by constraints and strongly advocate anti-trend couture. A manifesto of modern couture, for women who command rather than conform, ‘Velora’ by Shantnu Nikhil Couture was rooted in practicality, quality and exacting standard of execution. The collection celebrates renewed strength and the power to adapt and rise again… symbolised in the dominant metallic influence. Overall, the showcase evoked an emotional connect of resurgence and the need to ‘soldier on’.
Ravi Bajaj | Suneet Varma
Suneet Varma spent years honing his craft with Nicole Farhi and Yves Saint Laurent and an effortless glamour and fantasy defines his aesthetic. Having carved a niche in couture since twenty- five years, it’s no wonder his show — with emphasis on elevated staples — was magnificent in its craftsmanship. Suneet Varma launched SV—a line that pares couture into versatile, modern separates. The debut collection is inspired by the effortless glamour of the 1970s, echoing the style of icons such as Cher and Zeenat Aman. The mood is confident, sexy, and chic.
SV by Suneet Varma embodies his signature sensibility, luxury reimagined for a younger, style-conscious audience.
Ravi Bajaj’s new runway collection, “Lumina” showcases new age elegance with a touch of timeless charm. The show unfolds in two moods with men’s and women’s wear — blacks with jewel-toned highlights, brought alive through hand-painting and textures on rich silks, enhanced by pearls with metallic accents. Making a comeback this season are the iconic Ravi Bajaj women’s jackets, tailored yet fluid, with traditional cuts like boat pants and Shanghai jackets.
Jasmeen Dugal is Associate Editor at FashionABC, contributing her insights on fashion, technology, and sustainability. She brings with herself more than two decades of editorial experience, working for national newspapers and luxury magazines in India.
Jasmeen Dugal has worked with exchange4media as a senior writer contributing articles on the country’s advertising and marketing movements, and then with Condenast India as Net Editor where she helmed Vogue India’s official website in terms of design, layout and daily content. Besides this, she is also an entrepreneur running her own luxury portal, Explosivefashion, which highlights the latest in luxury fashion and hospitality.
