At Lakme Fashion Week 2026, the fashion was great but the subtext was better

Fashion has never been just about clothes, has it? Fashion weeks, in particular, have always had a political streak, whether designers choose to wear their beliefs on their sleeves or stitch them into the seams. And while some might argue that the spectacle has lost a bit of its spark, every season, there are designers who remind us why we fell for fashion in the first place. Their collections do more than what meets the eye. Some challenge perspectives, others leave you thinking about the pieces beyond the runway. At Lakmé Fashion Week 2026, a handful of designers came with stories that made us think. And perhaps that’s one of the greatest compliments you can give to a designer; not just remembering what they showed you, but wondering what it meant. Read on.

Manish Malhotra Luxury Prêt  

Are we officially in the era of luxury prêt? Looks like it. Did we need Manish Malhotra to enter the luxury prêt conversation? Can’t complain, because some of those pieces were just too good. At the Manish Malhotra Luxury Prêt 2026 showcase, Indian craftsmanship met modern fluidity, we saw sculpted silhouettes, sweeping layers, fluid skirts and cropped jackets sharing the runway with luminous golds, burnished silvers and intricate embellishments. 

The corsets paired with draped skirts and dupattas seem to be having a moment. There was a new chapter, too, with the debut of Manish Malhotra Menswear Luxe Prêt, bringing relaxed tailoring, refined shirts and modern separates into the mix. 

péro x Barbie

At péro’s Spring/Summer 2027 showcase, Barbie’s iconic pink box became a symbol of all the possibilities waiting beyond it. Think gender-fluid dressing, pink for everyone, and getting dressed simply for the joy of it. Aneeth Arora brought péro’s signature craft-led playfulness to Barbie’s world through prints, crochet, lace and, most notably, stripes. Inspired by Barbie’s original black-and-white swimsuit, the collection reimagined the classic motif through Indian textile traditions, from mashru in Gujarat to block prints, Bengal’s blue-and-white stripes and woven silks. “It was exciting to take something so instantly recognisable and reinterpret it through different textile traditions,” says Aneeth. And because no Barbie universe is complete without a little pink and plastic, péro gave the latter an unexpected twist with a miniature kudai – a traditional South Indian basket made from handwoven recycled plastic wires, reimagined for Barbie. The collection also marks the debut of péro Intimate, the label’s first intimate-wear line, featuring fine Chanderi and 500-count khadi. Forget conventional lingerie; this is all about relaxed, beautifully crafted pieces that sit closest to the skin.

HUEMN

HUEMN, in collaboration with R|Elan explored the duality of beauty and terror this season. The collection paired experimental prints and contemporary athleisure silhouettes with heritage techniques. A dystopian fever dream, the collection’s universe sits somewhere between post-apocalyptic chaos and darkly playful absurdity. We saw haunting, almost-mummified silhouettes, unsettling visual references and flashes of colour that feel less like decoration and more like defiance. Under Pranav Misra’s direction, the strange becomes a statement, with each look hinting at a world on the brink.

Seven R|Elan fabric technologies, including Kooltex, GreenGold and EcoGold, found their way into HUEMN’s design vocabulary, with an oxblood denim jacket featuring Chikankari embroidery emerging as a standout. 

Amit Aggarwal’s AM:IT 

For Amit Aggarwal, the street was the main character. Think a bustling Indian market at dusk, reimagined as a runway, there were zebra crossings, rickshaws, ice-cream carts, cotton candy and traffic lights fashioned out of everyday plastic baskets and colanders. 

Plastic shopping-bag wires became a green-and-purple cropped blazer with strands that nearly grazed the floor, while a matching harlequin dress came with playful bursts of fringe. There were totes resembling market bags, accessories with the crumpled shine of foil and black polythene, and a finale coat that made a case for finding beauty in the most unlikely materials. Stripes borrowed from shop awnings, school uniforms and everyday shirts collided across layered looks, while balloon sleeves, sculptural peplums and pleated bucket hats brought drama to the silhouettes.

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