In just two days, the lights go up again. India Couture Week 2025 is here, and with it comes a wave of sherwanis, statement silhouettes, and menswear that promises to steal the spotlight at its 18th edition.
This year’s sartorial spectacle unfolds at the Taj Palace Hotel in New Delhi, from July 23 to 31. The week opens with Rahul Mishra’s much hyped collection, a dreamy mashup of Gustav Klimt’s gilded canvases and Gulzar’s iconic Satrangi Re. JJ Valaya, ever the showman, will close the week with a finale steeped in Eastern opulence.
One of India’s most anticipated fashion weeks, where heritage craftsmanship collides with new age couture, returns in partnership with Hyundai India Couture Week and Reliance Brands. Expect headline collections from the country’s fashion powerhouses: Manish Malhotra, Tarun Tahiliani, Falguni Shane Peacock, Amit Aggarwal, Ritu Kumar, Shantnu & Nikhil, Aisha Rao, and more.
But before the runway goes full throttle, it’s worth zooming out. In recent years, Indian menswear has quietly and sometimes loudly rewritten the couture rulebook. We’ve seen sheer kurtas that flirt with scandal, metallic breastplates, jewel toned corsets, and shirtless blazers paired with ties as wide as dinner plates. Suddenly, tradition looks a lot like rebellion.
So, as Delhi braces for another week of fabric and flair, here’s a rewind: ten menswear moments that made us sit up, lean in, and rethink what the personal wardrobe needs in the last two years!
Ranbir Kapoor for Kunal Rawal’s ‘Dhup Chao’
Set against a palette of navy, olive, and burnt reds, Kunal Rawal’s 2023 collection blended classic silhouettes with deconstruction. Ranbir Kapoor closed the show in a sharp Bandhgala—modernised (in a navy Bandhgala and dhoti-trouser) by swapping the predictable trousers for dhoti-inspired bottoms. The look was equal parts regal and rebellious, reminding everyone that Indian grooms don’t have to play it safe.
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Taha Shah Badussha at Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla’s ‘Mard’
Abu-Sandeep’s menswear line, Mard, pushed boundaries with flirty sheer kurtas, tissue fabrics, angrakhas, dhotis and dramatic drapes in 2024. The showstopper look worn by Taha Shah—an olive silk tissue kurta sparkling with crystal-encrusted flying birds—was part couture, part sculpture. It nodded to a new kind of Indian masculinity: one that embraces maximalism and ornamentation without apology.
Ishaan Khatter, shirtless under sequins at Rohit Gandhi + Rahul Khanna’s ‘Equinox’
A collection inspired by constellations and the night sky, Equinox married tailoring with celestial drama. Blazers were studded with rhinestones and sequins, mesh shirts flirted with transparency, and satin trousers added polish. Ishaan Khatter, showstopper, wore a hand-embroidered blazer, a giant tie, and nothing else underneath—a look that felt rakish, playful, and refreshingly unorthodox.
JJ Valaya’s ‘Baroda’ sherwanis, draped dupattas and Gujarati turbans
Drawing from Gujarat’s rich history, Valaya’s collection layered long sherwanis in brocade and velvet with intricate stoles, dupattas and turbans. In 2023 , the styling turned every male model into a modern-day royal, while gold threadwork and heritage prints added gravitas. It was couture as storytelling: deeply rooted, yet styled for now.
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Siddartha Tytler’s jewel-toned corsets, fur capes and zipper sherwanis in ‘Caligula’s Feast’
Channeling decadent Roman emperor energy, this collection featured bandhgalas, men’s corsets, dhotis, and sherwanis zipped instead of buttoned. Fabrics were drenched in ruby, emerald, royal blue and black, accented with gold and gunmetal. Crystals, appliqué, fur, and layered volumes turned each look into a dramatic, hedonistic statement.
Gaurav Gupta’s sculptural breastplates and reflective sherwanis in ‘Arunodaya’
Meaning “daybreak,” Arunodaya played with soft dawn tones—white, ivory, comet blue and mauve—contrasted by sharp, futuristic flourishes. Sheer fabrics and cage embroidery kept things airy, while metallic breastplates and reflective details brought GG’s signature sci-fi couture to menswear. It was serene yet edgy: couture that could belong in a temple—or a spaceship.
Tarun Tahiliani’s ivory sherwanis and embroidered capes in ‘For Eternity’
True to Tahiliani’s style, the focus was on fabric, drape, and technique. The menswear included classic sherwanis paired with churidars and salwars, ivory-hued capes embroidered with zardozi, and layered ensembles perfect for the modern groom. Understated in colour but maximal in craft, the collection celebrated timeless Indian couture through a contemporary lens.
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Rahul Mishra’s garden of threadwork in ‘Nargis’
Mishra’s nature-inspired collection bloomed across sherwanis, bandi jackets and bandhgalas. Florals, bees and birds came alive through aari threadwork, bugle beads, kundan, sequins and freshwater pearls. The colour story was delicate but intricate; the effect, romantic without losing the quiet power that defines Mishra’s menswear.
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Amit Aggarwal’s glass-beaded velvet bandhgalas in ‘ANTEVORTA’
Named after the Roman goddess of the future, this collection fused cosmic themes with heritage tailoring. Crimson and deep red bandhgalas were cut in luxe velvet, then embroidered with shimmering glass beadwork. It was a perfect collision of tradition, futurism and architectural precision—Amit Aggarwal’s vision of what tomorrow’s groom could wear.
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