Harper’s Bazaar LuXperiences 2026: Rise of the new guard shaping India’s global fashion narrative

Harper's Bazaar LuXperiences 2026 was an opulent celebration of the best in the world fashion, luxury, creation, and innovation. It was also the place where the rise of Indian fashion and craft was analysed, and promising predictions were made about the path that would pave the way for an even more dazzling future. Fashion designers Dhruv Kapoor, Krésha Bajaj, Shweta Kapur, founder of 431-88; Palak Shah, founder and CEO of Ekaya Banaras; and Anjali Patel Mehta, founder of Verandah, joined Rakshit Singh for a nuanced conversation about the new generation of designers taking the Indian style and aesthetic to the global stage.

Titled 'Soft Power, Sharp Silhouettes: India's New Fashion Vanguards', the panel discussion saw Patel Mehta share how her brand scaled from 0 to hundred in a matter of few months and why her ambition is now to put Verandah, and India, at every beautiful retail place she can think of. "what we carry with us from India is also a very strong cultural relevance and a preservation that kind of goes across borders," she said.

When Singh asked Dhruv Kapoor about the thought process behind blending Indian identity of outfits with global silhouettes in his collections, Kapoor reflected, "That process was exciting because we normally don't touch traditional silhouettes in their original context. But it's exciting for the entire design team, and for me personally, to visit something in a format that is not the usual. But it's never an aim for us to export India as a narrative. It is just something that we like to build, how to make it more contemporary, and it happens to be based in India. So it's organic, and that's what speaks the most."

As the conversation moved towards Indian textiles competing with global brands and the commercial consequences of it, Palak Shah chimed in, "I don't, as of now, see it being in fast fashion houses or in print because of the amount of time it takes to create these textiles. I also feel like Indian textiles do not necessarily need to be in the way we are currently presenting them. So, if in case you do present it in the way that the West wants to consume it, or in like a palette that is really neutral, or that kind of fits the whole global audience, I really feel like Indian textiles can really fit seamlessly."

But going global doesn't have to be about getting validation from the West. Shweta Kapur of 431-88 believes that these creations have to be about the creator's internal purpose. She said, "These external things are just checkpoints. Yes, it motivates you 100 percent, but that's not the end goal. The end goal is always the customer you're designing for. The end goal is always about how you push the envelope and how you can push the limits of yourself, of your craft."

As the discussion progressed, the panel also spoke about how tags such as 'heritage' and 'nostalgic' can sometimes make it difficult to reach a global audience. Krésha Bajaj discussed personal conflict over the possibility of losing the authenticity of embroidery and other crafts as the brand goes global. But she realised that it doesn't have to be like that. "We are still using our traditional techniques, but we're evolving them with what the world is today. And I feel that is what craft should be. Craft should be about evolution completely."

These new vanguards of Indian fashion have started leaving their footprints on the global map. This insightful conversation at Harper’s Bazaar LuXperiences 2026 goes on to show their unapologetic approach and the deeply rooted philosophies that transform tradition for the world.

Also read: Dhruv Kapoor is fashioning a new creative identity for India

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