Interview | Richa Khemka’s VESPER Finds Its Light in the Shadows at Lakmé Fashion Week
At Lakmé Fashion Week 2026, Kolkata-based designer Richa Khemka unveiled VESPER, a couture collection inspired by light, shadow and the many facets of a woman’s identity. Featuring sculptural silhouettes, sheer organza, metallic accents and intricate craftsmanship, the collection explores the balance between strength, softness and self-expression
In Latin, ‘vesper’ means evening, the hour when daylight begins to fade and the first star appears before the rest of the sky catches up. It is a fitting name for Richa Khemka’s latest collection, which unfolded at Taj Palace, New Delhi, on October 18 like a slow shift in light. Black gave way to silver, sheer organza met sculptural forms, and each silhouette revealed just enough to leave something to the imagination.
Presented as part of the October 2026 edition of Maruti Suzuki NEXA Presents The Spotlight at Lakmé Fashion Week, the collection was Khemka’s response to ‘The Unseen’, the theme set for this edition. Selected by the jury as one of two winners, alongside Linetribe by Gaurav Jagtiani, the Kolkata-based designer used the platform to explore a quietly compelling question, i.e., what if a woman could be seen without having to reveal everything?
“With VESPER, I wanted to explore the different facets of a woman’s identity and the confidence to be herself on her own terms,” Khemka expressed.
Light, Shadow and Reflection
That duality ran through the collection. Drawing on the moody visual language of noir, Khemka played with light, shadow and reflection to explore the contradictions that shape a woman’s identity: bold yet introspective, striking yet elusive, strong yet fluid.
Sculptural silhouettes contrasted with layered transparencies and metallic surfaces.
The restrained palette of black, white, silver and metallic tones allowed intricate embroidery, dimensional textures and unconventional fabric manipulation to take centre stage, lending the architectural forms a softer, handcrafted quality.
Diana Penty closed the show in a look styled by Namita Alexander that brought these elements together. An embellished black bralette was paired with a black-and-white fringed skirt, its high slit setting the fringe in motion with every step. A black cummerbund belt, detailed with silver embroidery, defined the waist. Khemka saw Penty’s quiet confidence and distinctive presence as a natural fit for the collection, while the actor found resonance in its message of individuality.
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“Richa’s vision for the collection feels both personal and bold,” Penty said in the news release, adding that she loved how it encourages women to express themselves on their own terms.
In Her Own Words
After the show, a quick this-or-that round with Outlook Luxe offered a glimpse into the preferences behind Khemka’s design philosophy. Asked to choose between classic and contemporary couture, she leaned towards the classic. When it came to embroidery versus silhouette, the latter took precedence. Timeless elegance won over a runway statement, while evening glamour edged out bridal couture.
Her choices offered an interesting counterpoint to VESPER’s intricate handwork. For Khemka, the appeal of a garment begins with its shape and the way it carries itself, with embellishment serving as part of a larger design language rather than the entire story. The collection’s disciplined palette and sculptural forms reflect that instinct, allowing craftsmanship to speak without overwhelming the silhouette.
There was, however, one question she could not settle. Asked to pick a favourite look from the collection, Khemka laughed and admitted she could not choose.
On the woman she hopes to dress, she was more certain. “A woman wearing Richa Khemka should always feel special,” she shared. And if VESPER were a woman, it would have been “Strong, powerful, confident,” she said.
A Decade of Craft
Khemka’s approach has evolved over a decade of building her eponymous label, which she launched in 2015 after a background in finance. Drawn to detail and craftsmanship, she has developed a couture language that brings traditional handwork into conversation with contemporary silhouettes, creating pieces for a woman defined by emotional strength and understated sophistication.
With VESPER, that sensibility takes on a more introspective quality. The collection is not simply about making an impression; it is about the choices a woman makes in presenting herself to the world. Like the evening hour that lends it its name, VESPER leaves room for ambiguity, allowing strength and softness, visibility and restraint, to coexist. Its woman does not need to reveal everything to command attention. She decides what to show, what to keep to herself and how she wishes to be understood.