The weekend featured some of the 26 shows, from the country’s most established designers as well as bright new talent, including Rajesh Pratap Singh, JJ Valaya, Shantanu & Nikhil, Varun Bahl, Ashish N Soni, Bloni and more, showcasing innovative approaches and silhouettes to materials and techniques. This year also featured, for the first time, four women designers with an interesting take on men’s wear: Mandira Wirk, Mahima Mahajan, Nikita Mhaisalkar and Nirmooha by Prreeti Jaiin Nainutia.
Sunil Sethi, chairman, The Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), explains how the organisation, which has about 400 members from the industry, works to further the business of fashion in India and ensure its sustainable growth. “We are giving people a platform to shine… And I am looking for people who want to experiment,” he says, adding that menswear has been getting more attention, drawing more young talent.
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Mandira Wirk’s collection draws inspiration from glamorous holidays and the yacht life.
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Models walked the ramp in Mandira Wirk’s bright, cheerful prints, in outfits crafted for beach parties and summer holidays.
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Mahima Mahajan walks the ramp, along with the models in black, a move away from the cheery botanical prints she is known for.
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Mahima Mahajan uses flowers and butterflies on luxurious textures in her new collection.
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From putting men in shimmering corsets to creating lavish embroidery carpeted over geometric weaves on jackets, Nikita Mhaisalkar’s collection celebrates the cheerful notes of Afro pop culture.
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Inspired by Nikita Mhaisalkar’s recent holiday in Africa, the collection is a tribute to travel, featuring structured pant suits, bomber jackets and flowing trench coats.
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Nirmooha by Prreeti Jaiin Nainutia showcased deep indigos, faded crimsons,
and maroons, along with teals and earthy browns.
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Nirmooha’s collection fuses denim, crochet fabrics, and soft knits, symbolising both structure and
fragility.
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Bloni by Akshat Bansal
articulates its design diversity through gender agnosticism and future thinking. This includes exploring craft and unexpected fabrics.
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BLONI’s collection imagines what bodies could wear, from experimental
silhouettes to innovative fabrics.
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With a palette steeped in deep greys and brown hues, Designer Sushant Abrol questions warfare, inspired by a charred piece of an aircraft’s fuselage.
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Although Sushant Abrol’s clothes are based on the combative forms of military clothing, from trench coats to bomber jackets, they also exude a sense of hope with thoughtful details like kantha stitches that run through the collection.
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Gaurav Khanijo’s intricate embroidery, appliqué, and androgynous tailoring entwine with rich textures, drawing from Rajasthan’s raw natural elements—scorpions, snakes, camels, and local artistry.
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Models walked the ramp in symbolic prints, batiks, ajrakh, and experimental textures in Gaurav khanijo ‘s collection, which featured deep ombrés of reds, blues, and greens.
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Sahil Aneja’s line ‘Play more’ is a bold celebration of movement, energy, and self-expression with vibrant, quirky elements.
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Sahil Aneja’s clothes blend comfort with style, featuring dynamic
silhouettes, vibrant hues, and innovative textures.
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Flamboyant Manoviraj Khosla uses different types of traditional Kantha embroidery and batik work on varied silhouettes of men’s wear.
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From traditional Sherwanis
to bomber jackets, Manoviraj Khosla’s collection focuses on how versatile traditional art forms are on
garments, especially men’s wear.
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Dhruv Vaish’s collection comes together with precision and quiet confidence.
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The collection by Dhruv Vaish, in hues of white black and silver, comprises shifting silhouettes and neat details.
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Siddartha Tytler’s moody colour palette, with deep black, teal, and navy is broken up with streaks of silver in tailored suits softened with drapes, oversized jumpers and fluid hakama pants.
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Twilight meets Fifty Shades of Grey, and Gothic grunge meets precision tailoring at Siddartha Tytler’s show, where angular models with slicked back hair and aggressive silver face accessories walk around a roaring fire.
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Ashish Soni‘s ‘Less is More’ philosophy results in flawless lines, clean cuts and an eye for the perfect finish.
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In this collection by Ashish Soni, embellishments are used with restraint, if at all, to highlight form resulting in classic and timeless garments.
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Rajesh Pratap Singh’s theatrical show was a tribute to biker culture, with men on bikes circling a roaring fire, while models walked around them.
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Rajesh Pratap Singh stands as an artisanal brand with deep Indian roots and understated approach to luxury.
Published – February 21, 2025 04:42 pm IST
