A round-up of Day 1 & 2 at the India Couture Week 2025

Our favourite time of the year is here, as India Couture Week 2025 opens its doors to a spectacle of craftsmanship, couture, and creative storytelling. Day 1 and 2 set the tone for a week of fashion steeped in emotion and drama, where each designer wove their own tale of love, legacy, and reinvention. From Rahul Mishra’s dreamy ode to affection in Becoming Love, to Isha Jajodia’s introspective collection Whispers of Love to Myself, and Suneet Varma’s dazzling parade of jewel-toned grandeur in Mehr, the first two days were a masterclass in how couture continues to evolve while staying rooted in Indian tradition.

‘Becoming Love’ by Rahul Mishra

Rahul Mishra returned to the spotlight as he opened the show at Hyundai India Couture Week with Becoming Love, a collection that seamlessly marries tradition and innovation. Rooted in the philosophy of Sufism, the collection explores the spiritual evolution of love through seven stages—attraction, infatuation, surrender, reverence, devotion, obsession, and ultimately, death. Each silhouette in the collection is a poetic verse, unfolding this journey of emotion and expression. Inspired in part by Gustav Klimt’s artistic language, Mishra reimagines his motifs through intricate surfaces crafted in village ateliers across India. Traditional embroidery techniques like aari, zardozi, naqshi, dabka, and fareesha are elevated with resham threads, freshwater pearls, kundan, salli, and sequins, delicately rendered on silk organza, tulle, velvet, and satin. The cherry on the top? Tamannaah Bhatia opened and closed the show with two outfit changes, and trust me, that’s no joke.

‘Whispers of Love to Myself’ by Isha Jajodia

Roseroom by Isha Jajodia opened Day 2 of Hyundai India Couture Week 2025 with her evocative collection Whispers of Love to Myself- a poetic homage to introspection, femininity, and, and a love letter to Sylvia Plath. Tara Sutaria served as both muse and showstopper, embodying a vision of self-love wrapped in gold filigree and ethereal lace. Divided into four thematic chapters—Dear Innocence, To My Becoming, With Love, Always, and I Am, Jajodia’s pieces chronicle a woman’s journey back to her most authentic self. Structured Roseroom corsets embellished with ornate detailing were juxtaposed with flowing silhouettes and layered textures, evoking both vulnerability and quiet strength. The colour story whispered in tones of blush, white, and ivory, creating an atmosphere of dreamy elegance and timeless grace.

‘Mehr’ by Suneet Varma

The second show of the evening was by Suneet Varma, who delivered a couture spectacle through ‘Mehr’, that was equal parts whimsical and powerful. Drawing inspiration from twilight, enchantment, and the mystique of femininity, Varma presented a collection that evoked both serenity and drama. A symphony of moonlit tones, delicate hand embroidery, and fluid cuts, each piece seemed to shimmer with its own quiet magic. Staying true to his signature flair for theatrical detail, he captivated audiences with dramatic silhouettes paired with fantastical oversized headpieces shaped like swans and crows, painstakingly crafted with beads and intricate materials and a masterclass in storytelling. With models gliding through this enchanted paper forest, every appearance felt like an animal sighting in a mythical jungle- immersive, unexpected, and utterly spellbinding.