Rise of active-leisure

Namrata Joshipura continued her exploration of performance-driven fashion with a collection anchored in engineered fabrics like R|Elan Kooltex and GreenGold. Bodysuits, cropped jackets, singlets, and shorts were cut for movement but styled for the street — mirroring the global mood where activewear is no longer confined to the gym. Breathable textiles and recycled fibres underlined the emphasis on wearability and conscious design.

Shivan & Narresh leaned into art-as-leisure with a capsule inspired by French painter-sculptor Fernand Léger. Their resort wear — swim trunks, ponchos, relaxed robes and knit coordinates — tapped into a holiday state of mind, but with deliberate cuts and saturated prints. Textural summer knits and hand-finished accessories created an easy tension between craft and escapism, offering men and women equal space in a wardrobe designed for transit, sea, or poolside pause.

Saaksha & Kinni, through their Myrah collection for Lakmé’s Sun Stopper show, used Gujarat’s Adalaj Stepwell as a springboard. Their silhouettes comprising layered kaftans, printed jackets, and pleated dresses balanced movement with structure. Lycra-infused swimwear sat beside breezy cottons, while sandstone tones and water-inspired blues grounded the palette in place. It was resortwear as a state of cultural storytelling, shaped by geography and intention.

New-age luxury: fashion that fits the everyday

Shantnu & Nikhil’s Piazza Nova marked five years of their bridge-to-luxury label, S&N. The collection reflected the brand’s core idea: heritage tailoring with urban sensibility. Slim bandhgalas, printed shirts, and embroidered jackets allowed wearers to mix statement with staple. Designed for the aspirational buyer, it bridged occasion and everyday through modular pieces that lean modern but nod to tradition.

Tarun Tahiliani’s OTT Season 2 took a similar route. The focus was on fluidity — layered separates, draped gilets, and convertible silhouettes styled live on stage to highlight versatility. Traditional crafts like chikankari and Rabari embroidery were recast in contemporary forms, and archival prints reappeared in fresh palettes. The idea was simple: luxury that adapts to the wearer, not the other way around.

Together, both collections signalled a shift. Luxury was less about exclusivity, more about expression — quietly confident, wearable, and rooted in the idea of fashion as a personal tool, not just a spectacle.