Halfway through its Delhi edition, Lakmé Fashion Week x FDCI 2026 brought three distinct design perspectives to the runway at Taj Palace, the season’s new venue, on 16 October. Anushree Reddy explored the many identities of a bride, Ashish N Soni turned the spotlight on the character of textiles, and Namrata Joshipura closed the night with a study in black, metallics and eveningwear.
The three collections offered different interpretations of contemporary fashion, moving between bridal maximalism, textile-led menswear and high-impact eveningwear. The opening show set the tone with Reddy’s exploration of a bride’s many identities.
Anushree Reddy Asks What Comes Next
For more than a decade, Reddy has been known for romantic, softly feminine silhouettes. With MAYA, presented with Lakmé Salon as official brand and beauty partner, she asked herself, “What’s next?” The collection is built around illusion, drawing on mythology, childhood stories and everyday objects to imagine a woman who sees herself in many forms on her wedding day.
Zardozi, intricate threadwork, shimmering sequins and glass beads came together in a layered, colourful treatment that gave the ensembles a maximal, dimensional finish. “MAYA is about that feeling of stepping into an illusion, something familiar, yet completely new,” said Reddy. Actress Sara Arjun closed the show.
Also Read: Lakmé Fashion Week x FDCI 2026: Suneet Varma’s Kashi, Samant Chauhan’s Jaisalmer and More
The bridal theme continued backstage, where Lakmé Salon interpreted three distinct identities: the Soft Romantic Bride, with braids and pearls; the Timeless Bride, with rose-red lips and a long floral trail; and the Maximal Bride, with dual-tone eyes and a bejewelled pull-through braid. Actor Sara Arjun closed the show as its showstopper.
Ashish N Soni Starts With the Fabric
Soni presented a collection developed in collaboration with Arvind Limited that showcased bridal illusion, menswear and more. The focus was on how textiles shape silhouette and structure, using cotton, wool, linen, Tencel and bamboo from the textile major’s range.
“Ashish has a distinctive ability to translate the character and potential of a fabric into stylish, wearable design,” said Kulin Lalbhai, Vice Chairman of Arvind Limited in the news release. Soni, meanwhile, spoke of his “great appreciation for fine, high-end textiles”.
The collaboration also extends beyond the runway. A select number of looks will be available at The Arvind Stores, giving the collection a retail presence beyond its fashion week presentation.
Namrata Joshipura’s OBSIDIAN
Deep black met metallic finishes, with glossy fabrics, gold-toned embroidery, sculpted floral motifs and gem-like surface details shaped Namrata Joshipuria’s collection called OBSIDIAN. Her signature elongated jumpsuits returned alongside sculpted eveningwear, balancing drama with a polished finish.
“Innovation should not only be experienced, but felt,” said Joshipura in the news release. Nishant Ranjan, Head of Digital Marketing at OPPO India, described the collection as “bold, contemporary and uncompromising in its design language.”
Day 4 sits within a week that has brought Indian designers, emerging talent and sustainability-focused initiatives to the runway. The season began on 13 October with the finale of the R|Elan Circular Design Challenge, held in partnership with the UN in India at the Embassy of France. Péro opened the runway programme in a show presented by Lakmé and Tira, while Manish Malhotra’s Luxury Pret showcase, presented by Maruti Suzuki NEXA, is also on the calendar.
The season concludes on 18 October with the House of Lakmé Grand Finale by AM.IT by Amit Aggarwal.
