Got Last-Minute Diwali Plans? These Indian Designers Have Your Outfit Sorted

Now that the festive season is upon us, how's your wardrobe looking? If your answer involves a couple of overworked kurtas and the same old Nehru jacket you've been reaching for over the past few years, it might be time for a little intervention. After all, Diwali comes with its fair share of invitations. Plus, come on! There's no better excuse to buy new clothes than Diwali.

So be it intimate house parties and cocktail soirées to grand family gatherings where making an entrance is practically part of the dress code, there's something below for every kind of occasion. Read on.

Thinking that you're low on bandhgalas? Who better to turn to than the man who popularised them in the first place?

We get it, you're the modern, too cool for school-kinda guy. Luckily for you, Gaurav Khanijo’s take on ethnicwear is to take it beyond what it's traditionally been. Just check out this basket-weave Nehru jacket, for example.

How do you even do festive season bling without a piece from Manish Malhotra? Whether it's a wedding or a designified Diwali party, the designer has everything you would need and more.

If your Diwali party asks for an outfit that goes all out, but you're the most restrained, sober man, Siddhartha Tytler is where you're heading to this season.

See, ethnicwear can be for everyone. Just because you like that little tang of grunge in your everyday aesthetic doesn't mean you have to leave your taste behind for the festive season. Kunal Rawal is here to your rescue.

You appreciate a good bandhgala, have a soft spot for Indian textiles, but the idea of looking like you've dressed up for a wedding doesn't particularly appeal to you. Enter Rajesh Pratap Singh. For a party where looking well-dressed matters more than looking dressed up, he's your man.

For the man who likes his ethnicwear with a more contemporary sensibility, Vivek Karunakaran deserves a spot on your radar. His designs play with structure and give you clean silhouettes and handcrafted detailing. Heading to a Diwali cocktail party where you want to look dressed for the occasion without going the conventional kurta-pyjama route? You know where to look.

Some Diwali parties call for a little restraint. Others are practically an invitation to show off. If you're attending the latter, Falguni Shane Peacock who you should go to. Their high-octane glamour, intricate embellishments, statement embroidery and rather unapologetic approach to dressing up makes this designer duo brings plenty of drama to menswear too.

You might think that a line can only do so much in terms of embellishments. That is, till you visit a Sarah & Sandeep store (or their website, whichever strikes your fancy) and see design after design centered around this simple piece of geometry. Impressed, we are.

So, you want to step out feeling like a Maharaja. But you want your outfit to be something light at the same time (or, in short, you're in Mumbai), Tasva is where you go. Pieces in TT’s prêt line, like this achkan set, retains everything that makes a design quintessential Tarun Tahiliani, but also gives you an added layer of simplicity that makes it perfect for an outdoor festive get-together.

With Arjan Dugal, you get designs that your unassuming friend thinks is a safe choice, but your fashion-forward friend loses his mind looking at all the unconventional prints and techniques that goes into the making of a single kurta. After all, gentlemen, the devil lies in the details.

If you're invited to a get-together that requires more minimal outfits, and you want to make a fashion statement without sticking out like a sore thumb, the Delhi based duo know just how to dress you up.

You like your fashion with a little bit of attitude. Perhaps a military-inspired jacket, an asymmetrical kurta or a sherwani that could double up as a tuxedo is what you're looking for to wear to the big bash. Shantnu & Nikhil have built their signature around precisely this sensibility, bringing a distinctly contemporary, almost regal edge to Indian menswear.

So, you want to go all out. You love that it took a hundred hours to make your sherwani. Most of all, you love an outfit that is instantly recogniseable from across the room. Need I give you any more reasons why Sabyasachi is your perfect fit?

Speaking of recognisable, it doesn't get much more than the very modern, almost sci-fi-looking gedots and lines that are a mainstay of Amit Aggarwal's design language. Just check out this kurta waistcoat set, for example.

You know those Diwali parties where the lighting, the music and the general mood practically demand a little sparkle? Abhinav Mishra's signature mirror work is your best friend here.

If you're the sort of man who wants less off-the-rack festive dressing and more pieces made to feel like they were exclusively made for you, head to Jatin Malik Couture. From hand-painted bandhgalas and intricately embroidered sherwanis to beautifully constructed kurtas, the label puts craftsmanship at the centre of its menswear. Particularly suited to the man attending a rather grand Diwali gathering who would much rather invest in one memorable outfit than settle for the usual festive fare.