Tarun Tahiliani’s collection at India Couture Week celebrates textile, structure, and craftsmanship 

Within the elegant confines of the Oberoi’s ballroom, under the soft glow of lights and the scent of fresh mogra, 95 looks — rich with chikankari, resham, kasheedakari, shaded threadwork, jaali, and zardozi — narrate the story of artisanal techniques. Tarun Tahiliani’s collection Quintessence, showcased as part of India Couture Week, is a quiet celebration of craft — textile, form, and finish. 

Strains of the piano, saxophone, cello, and drums fill the hall as models meander across the different seating areas. The music segues into jazz, classical, Indian and soft rock even, in a way that is symbolic of the diverse moods of today’s bride.

The silhouettes — in tulle, lace, satin organza, and bandhini — include lehengas, panelled kalidars, concept saris, layered jackets, and structured corsets, created keeping in mind movement, grace, and lightness. The colour palette starts off mellow with subtle shades of ivory, beige and soft gold and graduates to misty rose, blush, almond, pinks and then to reds. 

For this presentation, the designer chose to ditch the usual runway and do a salon-style viewing. The salon is a kind of runway — just more intimate, says Tarun. “Couture, by nature, is incredibly detailed. Even I’m often stunned when I see how many thousands of hours go into a single garment,” he says. To honour this craftsmanship, he wanted people to experience the pieces up close, like the original Parisian couture salons where models walked between seated guests. “Back then, it was about silhouettes. For us, it’s about silhouette and the mastery of embroidery — something I believe no one in the world does quite like India. With the subdued colour palette in Quintessence, you need to get close to truly see the finesse,” explains Tarun. The garments teem with delicate florals, abstract foliage, and reimagined Mughal motifs.

This collection, in some way, is a reflection of who Tarun is — “deeply Indian, constantly evolving, thinking in English, dreaming in chikankari”. 

Quintessence is light and devoid of excesses. It takes a step back from heavy bridal wear. It’s an evolution, not a rejection of tradition, Tarun clarifies. Brides today are choosing individuality over convention. They want to own who they are on their big day, not be weighed down by what they’re “supposed” to wear. The market is shifting too and this stems from women becoming more emancipated, educated, and expressive. They want wedding clothes that reflect them, not just societal expectation, he says. 

The wedding market now has a lot of Gen Z brides. This generation is known to be starkly different from the previous generations of millennials, Gen X, etc. Does the designer take a different approach while designing for them?

“I don’t design for generations — I design for now. And “now” is fluid,” says Tarun, adding, “Gen Z brides are confident, self-aware, and experimental, but that doesn’t mean we discard tradition. Rather, we reinterpret it — like a farshi skirt reimagined as a pleated wrap or chikankari on modern corsetry.” He approaches it by understanding the intention of the bride/groom. Whether someone is seeking minimalism or maximalism, Tarun offers tools to express that identity through cut, fabric, and detail. “The only rule is authenticity,” he adds.

For this show, Tarun once again chose to disperse with the concept of a celebrity showstopper. This goes with his firm belief that clothes must be the showstopper. He says, “I’ve said it time and again — craft, karigar, construction: that’s the real star. Let the work speak.”