The biggest annual couture party is back. And yes, it’s almost entirely dedicated to wedding wear, still the Indian fashion industry’s biggest business. Starting 23 July in Delhi, more than 10 designers will unveil their latest collections at the Hyundai India Couture Week x FDCI (Fashion Design Council of India) 2026.
Expect plenty of intricately embellished lehnga-cholis and sherwanis, but also designers pushing beyond familiar codes. Military-style jackets, fluid drapes, muted colours and occasion wear that blurs the line between fashion and art find their place alongside traditional wedding ensembles. The emphasis is on silhouette and versatility. The result is wedding wear for clients who want the fantasy of couture without feeling weighed down by it.
Ahead of the showcase, Lounge spoke to designers behind some of the season’s striking creations.
JAYANTI REDDY
Jayanti Reddy’s Gilded Era offers a mix of couture that’s light as well as heavy on embroidery, drawing inspiration from the jaalis and frescoes of the historic palaces in her home city of Hyderabad. She experiments with bold contrasts—pinks, blacks and white—to create striking silhouettes that feel dramatic without being overwhelming.
RAHUL MISHRA
Devi, part of which was shown at the Paris Haute Couture Week earlier this month, draws inspiration from the monuments of Khajuraho and medieval temples, including the Konark Sun Temple. Built around the idea that jewellery predates clothing, the collection transforms adornment into couture that’s more art than fashion.
FALGUNI SHANE PEACOCK
More is more in Falguni Shane Peacock’s Le Grand Voyage, which imagines a journey aboard the Orient Express. Byzantine ornamentation adorns gowns, while Moroccan and Egyptian influences shape sherwanis and bandhgalas. Rajasthan’s jaali work finds space in kurtas.
TARUN TAHILIANI
An extension of Tarun Tahiliani’s philosophy that couture should feel as effortless as it is exquisite, Navratna celebrates draping, chikankari, zari tissue and ajrakh. “I don’t believe in having themes for showcases; the point of couture is that people don’t want to be seen in things similar to each other,” says Tahiliani.
KUNAL RAWAL
One of the few menswear-focused collections, Kunal Rawal’s Rawalgarh argues that construction matters as much as embellishment. Across more than 140 looks, military-inspired tailoring and tonal embroidery come together in a modern take on Indian occasion wear.
RIMZIM DADU
What happens when you combine two contrasting materials? Rimzim Dadu’s collection sets out to answer that question. Inspired by the iridescence of mother-of-pearl, she pairs the precious material with her signature steel-wire textiles, metallic cords and sculptural constructions. “The biggest challenge was to make a hard, precious material feel fluid and effortless on the body while preserving its natural brilliance,” she says.
JJ VALAYA
J.J. Valaya’s Siddi collection is a masterclass in using colour to temper the most elaborate embellishment. Inspired by India’s Siddi community of African descent and their kavand quilt-making tradition to tell stories of the past, it uses the brand’s signature language of embellishment, texture and geometry within a restrained colour palette to explore themes of movement and memory.
Manish Mishra is a Delhi-based writer and content creator.