Harper’s Bazaar LuXperiences 2026: The narrative power of couture in a changing world

At Harper’s Bazaar LuXperiences 2026, couture was positioned not merely as craft, but as cultural memory in motion. In a session titled Cultural Context: The Narrative Power of Couture, moderator and Editor of Harper's Bazaar India, Rasna Bhasin, brought together fashion designers Giambattista Valli and Anamika Khanna for a conversation that traversed emotion, history, and the future of fashion.

For Valli, fashion was an early calling. “It was my first obsession when I was a kid,” he admitted, describing couture as a lifelong love story. Khanna’s journey was less predetermined. Originally drawn to classical dance, she found fashion “by chance,” only to discover, upon creating her first garment, that she was exactly where she was meant to be. Two different beginnings, united by devotion.

The discussion quickly moved beyond biography to the deeper question of narrative. Couture, both designers agreed, is not theatre for its own sake; it is storytelling at its most intimate. Valli spoke of dreams as the starting point: the challenge, he noted, lies in translating something intangible into reality. When that alchemy works, “the magic” appears on the runway.

For Khanna, the starting point is always India. Whether through textile, technique, or emotion, her work begins with a sense of place. The tension between age-old crafts, zardozi, dhoti drapes, hand embroidery, and contemporary silhouettes is where her collections find their charge. Innovation, she insisted, requires understanding. “The minute you get into the depth and essence of it… You’re not diluting it.” Authenticity, for her, is not a borrowed aesthetic; it is lived experience.

Cultural exchange, however, was a central theme. Valli, who has long worked with Indian ateliers, spoke passionately about the irreplaceable value of handwork in an age increasingly dominated by AI. Algorithms may accelerate production, but they cannot replicate the human hand, the ritual, the imperfection, the interpretation that transforms an idea into art. India’s artisanal ecosystem, he suggested, is one of the world’s greatest treasures, a living archive that must be protected. Khanna echoed this responsibility, framing designers as both creators and custodians. “We decide which craft stays, which takes relevance,” she observed, acknowledging the profound impact those decisions have on livelihoods and legacy. Couture, in this sense, becomes political—it shapes what future generations inherit.

The conversation also touched on accessibility, with both designers reflecting on collaborations with global high-street giants. For Valli, the key is integrity: even the most democratic offering must carry the deepest drop of one’s DNA. Khanna described such partnerships as rigorous lessons in discipline and scale, pushing designers beyond comfort zones without compromising core values.

In a world saturated by fast fashion and digital trends, what does haute couture still offer? Khanna’s answer was succinct: timelessness—and the emotion of wearing something truly beautiful. Valli added that beauty itself is a responsibility. In turbulent times, he argued, gentleness and aesthetic pleasure are not frivolous; they are necessary.

If couture is a living archive of culture, then its custodians must be dreamers and preservers in equal measure. As Valli advised aspiring designers: “Be a dreamer. Believe in it. Fight for it.” Khanna’s counsel was simpler still: “Be honest. Stay true to who you are.”

At LuXperiences 2026, couture was not framed as excess, but as memory, meaning and hope, stitched carefully into the fabric of the future.

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