Hyundai India Couture Week 2025: A tapestry of Indian design

Amit Aggarwal
Jewellery partner: Isvari Jalandhar Jewellery House 

The designer presented “Arcanum,” a collection that delved into the invisible architecture of life, imagining DNA as an eternal thread connecting all life forms. An ancestral code, Ikat is reimagined through sculptural construction and cording— expanded in form, scale, and dimensionality.

Rohit Bal

In a moment steeped in reverence and reflection, Rohit Bal Couture unveiled its much-anticipated collection, Kash-Gul, at the iconic Taj Palace, New Delhi. The evening unfolded as a heartfelt expression- a continuation of his legacy, an evocation of memory, and the mystical elegance that defined the genius of Rohit Bal, one of India’s most visionary and beloved couturiers. In a gesture of remembrance and reverence, Arjun Rampal took the runway, embodying the spirit of a bond woven over decades.

The title, drawn from the lyrical worlds of Kashmir and Gul (flower), served as a symbolic invocation of Bal’s eternal muse: the lush gardens, cultural opulence, and tranquil melancholy of the Valley.

Kash-Gul is a reflection of the soul of Rohit Bal. In every stitch, there’s memory; in every silhouette, a sense of home,” says Fraze Tasnim, Creative Director at Rohit Bal Couture. “This collection honours his deep-rooted love for Kashmir, his poetic vision, and his unyielding belief in craft as legacy.”

The collection featured a restrained yet emotive palette of ivory, black, and deep wine, embodying the mystical elegance that defined his genius.

Rimzim Dadu
Jewellery partner: Jagat Jewels 

Oxynn by Rimzim Dadu is a modern couture collection inspired by the fierce, untamed spirit of Gujarat’s Banjara tribes and noted for its use of signature metal wires and extending beyond bridal couture to include pieces for both men and women.
 
The showstopper, Khushi Kapoor, embodied the spirit of the collection in a couture piece inspired by the intricate links of traditional payals, reimagined through Rimzim Dadu’s signature pre-oxidised metal technique, each sculpted motif echoing the raw elegance of Banjara jewellery in a bold, modern form. The showcase featured exquisite jewellery from Jagat Jewels, known for their modern, timeless designs rooted in Indian heritage.
 
Known for progressive surface texturing and innovative textiles, Rimzim Dadu’s work has garnered both national and global recognition. With material at the heart of every creation, the studio continues to push the boundaries of innovation, art, and technology. Every Rimzim Dadu piece is a statement in itself.

Isha Jajodia
Jewellery partner: Diacolor 

Roseroom by Isha Jajodia showcased Whispers Of Love To Myself, a collection that chronicled the emotional journey of the feminine self through a blend of contemporary couture and European romanticism, featuring lace, sculptural corsets, and 18K gold accents.
 
The collection unfolded into four delicate movements, beginning with featherlight blush tones and culminating in architectural whites and gleaming gold.
 
The silhouettes were drawn from both contemporary couture and European romanticism. Sculpted lace corsets, softly bustled skirts, veiled capes, and tailored lace tuxedos. Layers of Chantilly lace, organza, translucent tulle, and diaphanous feather detailing floated down the runway, often paired with intricate 18K gold accents.
 
Tara Sutaria closed the show in a gossamer organza skirt embroidered with delicate lace and Chantilly appliqué. The look was anchored by a hand-sculpted, 18K gold-plated corset, crafted over four months. Its baroque mouldings, inspired by classical French architecture, were adorned with pearls and mother-of-pearl enamel blooms.

Ritu Kumar

The legendary couturier Ritu Kumar made a celebrated comeback to the India Couture Week stage with Threads of Time: Reimagined, a collection honouring five decades of Indian design by reinterpreting artisanal traditions for the modern woman.
 
Drawing inspiration from the brand’s rich archives while firmly facing the future, the showcase reinterpreted artisanal traditions for the woman of today. Fluid bridal ensembles sat alongside sharply tailored separates, corseted jackets were paired with delicate sheers, and vintage florals came alive on flowing silks and velvet scarves, every look capturing the essence of the Ritu Kumar legacy with a bold, contemporary voice.
 
From crystal-draped silhouettes to earthy-toned prints, from muted golds to deep scarlets, each ensemble was a story of nostalgia reimagined with relevance and intent.
 
Helmed creatively by Amrish Kumar, this presentation also marked a fresh chapter for the iconic house under its new partnership with Reliance Retail.

Manish Malhotra

Manish Malhotra hosted “India’s First Couture Party” for his Inaya collection, breaking traditional runway formats and featuring the Brazilian supermodel, Alessandra Ambrosio, as muse. The event also included a presentation of archival masterpieces, including MET Gala ensembles and signature pieces from Manish Malhotra High Jewellery featuring signature pieces such as cascading necklaces to regal brooches, heirloom jhumkas, statement haathphools and more.
 
INAYA, first sketched out by Malhotra during quiet evenings, imagines a new language for cocktail couture. It’s a line that redefines after-dark dressing for the modern woman with swirl skirts, fluidly draped cocktail saris with crystal pallus, a new trend forecasted by Manish Malhotra himself, sculpted embellished tops, and contoured gowns that feel as effortless as they are magnetic. For men, Inaya presented a sharper spin on eveningwear, with sleek, sculpted tuxedos, cropped bandhgalas, and sharply tailored suits that redefine formal dressing for today. The looks were complemented by Manish Malhotra High Jewellery. From cascading necklaces to sculptural brooches, signature collar pins and statement earrings, the High Jewellery added a layer of timeless glamour to the collection.

Rahul Mishra
Jewellery Partner: Rivaah by Tanishq

Following his recent showcase in Paris, Rahul Mishra presented Becoming Love, a collection that deepened the theme of love by drawing inspiration from nature, storytelling, Mughal miniature paintings, from the atmospheric light of Claude Monet and the gilded ornamentation of Gustav Klimt.
 
This spirit continues in Mishra’s hand-embroidered interpretation of pointillism, where romantic skies, foliage, rivers, and landscapes are articulated through thousands of tiny gestures.
 
Shaped by the quiet mastery of over 2,000 artisans, time-honoured techniques such as aari, zardozi, naqshi, dabka, and fareesha are revisited with subtle innovation, translated through resham, pearls, kundan, salli, and sequins onto silk organza, tulle, velvet, and satin.
 
It also incorporated the Sufi understanding of love’s spiritual evolution and collaborated with Rivaah by Tanishq, whose bridal jewellery celebrates the seven rare techniques of Indian craftsmanship.

Shantnu & Nikhil

Shantnu & Nikhil’s Metropolis moves beyond nostalgia and embraces a future shaped by individuality, conviction, and cultural fluidity. Drawing from military archives, desert traditions, and the grandeur of India’s regal past, the collection featured structured sherwanis and closed-ruffle necklines, layered pearl inners, and subtle sequinned accents that caught the light with quiet drama. Contemporary overcoat sherwanis, cinched and cropped bandhgalas, tailored trousers, and sculpted waistbands brought clarity and intent to ceremonial dressing. Two-toned embroideries served as symbolic insignias, discreet yet declarative.
 
Presented to a full house and a high-octane celebrity front row featuring Arjun Rampal, Jim Sarbh, Rajkummar Rao, Randeep Hooda, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Manushi Chillar, Zahaan Kapoor, Vihaan Samat and cricketer Mithali Raj amongst many, the show reaffirmed the designers’ standing as visionaries who continue to challenge and redefine the language of Indian couture.

Falguni Shane Peacock
Jewellery Partner: Archana Agarwal’s jewellery collection
 
The couturiers showcased their latest couture offering, Raj Mahal Bijoux – The Palace of Jewels, presented by Pearl Academy. Drawing inspiration from the grandeur of Indian royalty, the collection celebrates the world of Maharajas and Maharanis—their exquisite jewels, ceremonial elegance, and the regal legacy they left behind.
 
It is a visual homage to India’s opulent past, from the marble peacock at Baroda’s Laxmi Vilas Palace to the fresco-adorned walls of Jaipur’s City Palace. The collection is layered with references to royal architecture, ornate embellishments, and the timeless artistry of heritage design. Elaborate veils, cape-like drapes, and saree-inspired silhouettes form the core of the collection, each infused with the brand’s signature glamour and precision.
 
Falguni Shane Peacock brings together a tapestry of intricate craftsmanship, reinterpreting elements like hand-carved stone, antique frescoes, silver statues, and heirloom jewels into bold, contemporary couture. Jewel-toned embellishments, delicate threadwork, and dramatic silhouettes come alive in pieces that are both rooted in tradition and made for today’s modern Maharani.
 
Akshay Kumar walked the ramp for Falguni Shane Peacock in an ivory silk Sherwani, handcrafted with cut beads and beadwork embroidery. The ensemble exuded regal glamour while staying rooted in modern minimalism.

Aisha Rao
Jewellery Partner: Shree Jewellers

The designer’s debut couture collection, Wild at Heart, is a maximalist ode to wilderness and nature, embodying fantasy, memory, and the power of possibility through hand-drawn florals, architectural tailoring, delicate embroidery and appliqué.
 
The collection borrows from the lush vocabulary of the natural world - banana leaves, lotus blooms, palms kissed with light filtered through the lens of Aisha Rao’s signature, known for its fantasy-driven appliqué and surrealist storytelling.
 
Showstopper, Sara Ali Khan is seen in a rose gold Banarasi tissue brocade lehenga with intricate appliqué, detailed in geometric checks and whimsical florals with beads and crystals embroidery.

Jayanti Reddy
Jewellery Partner: Kishandas & Co.

Jayanti Reddy’s Reclaimed Opulence focuses on sustainability and ethical craftsmanship by breathing new life into leftover textiles and embroidery archives, blending traditional techniques with contemporary silhouettes.
 
With a palette that ranges from JR’s signature purples and golds to festive reds, mustard, and mint, each ensemble is a celebration of Indian couture reimagined for a modern, global audience. Rich in artisanal detail, the collection features 50 looks—35 womenswear and 15 menswear—infused with ornate embroidery, whimsical motifs, and dynamic layering.

Tarun Tahiliani

Tarun Tahiliani marked 30 years in design with Quintessence. This collection embodied his design philosophy of timeless craft, precision, and emotion, collaborating with de Gournay for hand-painted wallcoverings and a unique couture jacket.
 
Silhouettes are sculpted yet fluid. Drapes echo the softness of memory, sculpted in form, while structure offers quiet confidence. Embroideries are delicate — pearls, crystals, and resham threads stitched with care and intention. Every detail is meaningful. There is no excess.
 
For this showcase, de Gournay created a bespoke suite of ‘Early Views of India’ panels, hand-painted on Ivory Indian Tea Paper. A custom-painted silk panel was also interpreted by Tahiliani into a one-of-a-kind couture jacket, where the worlds of fashion and decorative art converge in celebration of craft.

Suneet Varma
Jewellery Partner: Diacolor

Suneet Varma showcased Sehr, a collection inspired by the magic of twilight hours and an enchanted forest, featuring sensual silhouettes and artisanal handcraft, and fantastical storytelling presented with a theatrical musical and poetic element.
 
Flowing chiffons, whispering silks, and glistening embroidery, mirrored moonlight on leaves and secrets hidden in shadows. With a palette of rose tints, ice lilacs, greys, and obsidian black, soft skirts, draped corsets with shimmer, fitted jackets and languid shararas and new techniques of embellishment with crystals, threadwork, garnets and pearls
 
Varma is the only Indian designer to collaborate with iconic luxury brand Judith Leiber, bringing his signature drama and detail to the world of bejewelled handbags. With every collection, he invites the modern woman into a world of elegance, emotion, and enchantment.

JJ Valaya (Closing Show)
Jewellery designer: Archana Aggarwal
 
JJ Valaya presented the closing show with his collection titled East – A Royal Nomadic Journey Through Time, Culture and Couture, concluding the 18th edition of the event with a masterful display of history, heritage, and haute couture.
 
The show opened with ace Indian cricketer Abhishek Sharma and concluded with Rasha Thadani, in a dramatic black-based lehenga adorned with intricate resham threadwork and antique gold metallic embroidery. Paired with a contemporary blouse and a fluid dupatta featuring a striking fauna print, the ensemble seamlessly blended traditional craftsmanship with modern allure. Ibrahim Ali Khan in a sherwani with intricate matte black cora hand embroidery cascading down the front in a bold, architectural motif.
 
Set against the backdrop of the 17th and 18th centuries, East draws inspiration from a time when the West viewed the Orient as a realm of mystery, opulence, and spiritual richness. The collection features a rich palette of antique neutrals, spice hues, and deep bridal reds, rendered in luxurious fabrics like silks, velvets, brocades, tulle, and organza.
 
Meticulously crafted for both men and women, the ensembles embody JJ Valaya’s architectural precision and couture detailing, blending age-old Indian craftsmanship with a global sensibility.