While the West continues to orbit around quiet luxury, Indian designers at Lakmé Fashion Week offered a counterpoint — maximalism, but measured. It was a season of drama laced with discipline; ornamentation wielded with intent.

Anamika Khanna’s Silver Collar collection set the tone. Deconstructed tailoring met opulent embroidery — structured bralettes, high-waisted metallic trousers, and chainmail flourishes. It was less about flamboyance, and more about confidence laced with craft.

Rahul Mishra’s The Silk Route, under his prêt label AFEW, drew from flora, folklore, and textile legacies. The collection wove Nature into couture, presenting hand-embroidered ecosystems that rippled with detail but never tipped into excess. The intricacy was intense, but the message — sustainability and quiet wonder — came through loud and clear. The collection highlighted visual exchanges across borders, mirrored in the parallel evolution of India’s bandhani and Japan’s shibori. A quiet ode to craft, culture and shared histories.

Amit Aggarwal took maximalism in a futuristic direction. His collaboration with tech brand Nothing resulted in a line where Banarasi brocade collided with industrial polymers — ballooning trousers, corseted blouses, and sharp tailoring gave tradition a glossy, sci-fi sheen. The palette was monochrome, but the craftsmanship spoke volumes.

Falguni Shane Peacock, known for high-octane glamour, showed restraint — relatively speaking. Their collection delivered sculptural jackets, crystal-studded corsets and feathered gowns, but with a controlled silhouette and tonal palette that leaned urban rather than theatrical. There was still shimmer and drama, but anchored in a kind of futuristic femininity.