Some returns are quiet. Manish Malhotra's was not. On October 17, at the Taj Palace in New Delhi, the designer presented Luxury Prêt 2026 at Lakmé Fashion Week in partnership with FDCI. It was his first runway show in nearly three and a half years, and the room behaved like it knew that. One guest's remark, reported by Variety India, sums up the crush at the door: the show "should have been held at a stadium."
Malhotra sent more than 100 models down the runway to a soundtrack that mixed techno with film music, including Donn Bhat's "Ishq". He then closed with two actors who will next appear together in Udta Teer: Ayushmann Khurrana and Sara Ali Khan. Both wore black, and they used it in very different ways.
Less embroidery, more metal
This collection asked to be read as a change of direction, so it's worth starting with the clothes. Malhotra's name has long meant dense, cinematic embroidery. Here, according to Hindustan Times, the embroidery was pulled back and metallic work and embellishment did more of the job. Cropped jackets, saris, long fluid skirts, off-shoulder tops, suits and updated bandhgalas made up most of the lineup. Drapes and layers ran through all of it.
The palette moved through greens, ivory, blue and pink, with pieces in liquid gold and burnished silver giving the evening its shine. The idea was occasionwear that you could actually wear more than once. Indian craftsmanship was still at the centre, but it sat on easier, more modern silhouettes. Retropop Lifestyle reported that the show, presented by Maruti Suzuki NEXA, also introduced Menswear Luxe Prêt, which takes the label's ready-to-wear into men's dressing.
Accessories were new too. Pieces from Manish Malhotra Fine Jewellery and Accessories made their debut: sculptural bags in several shapes, with diamonds and rare gemstones adding to the glamour.
Ayushmann: tailoring that does the talking
Khurrana's look made a case for black-tie menswear without costume. He wore a black shirt and tailored trousers under a structured black jacket with silver-toned floral and ornamental embroidery across the shoulders, lapels and sleeves. Sleek black shoes finished it.
It worked because of restraint. The cut kept the silhouette clean, and the embroidery sat only where light hits: shoulder, lapel and cuff. Black-on-black can easily look flat. Here it read as one confident idea. Coming in the same show that launched Menswear Luxe Prêt, it was also the clearest pitch for that line: evening tailoring with Indian handwork that doesn't have to be wedding-only.
Sara: structure, then movement
Ali Khan went for drama. Her black strapless top had a sculpted corset-style bodice and an asymmetrical neckline, with floral embellishments in metallic and multicoloured tones standing out against the dark base. Below it, a flowing black skirt loosened the structure, and a sheer drape added one more layer of movement.
She wore emerald jewellery from Manish Malhotra Fine Jewellery, the only strong colour in an otherwise monochrome look. That was also a neat way to put the new jewellery line on the season's most photographed pair of shoulders. Her hair was sleek and centre-parted, which kept attention on the bodice work.
The look's contrast was what mattered. The corset gave it architecture and the skirt gave it ease. It would work as a red-carpet look, but it also shows how a festive-season client might wear the collection: one statement top with a skirt that moves.
Why it matters
For a designer who largely defined how Bollywood dresses for big nights, a prêt-led comeback is a statement in itself. Malhotra is betting that today's Indian luxury customer wants the shine and the craft in pieces that move between occasions, without the weight. Dressing his showstoppers in black, the most versatile evening colour there is, made the point quietly. The fireworks were in the metalwork, not the volume.
The festive and wedding calendar starts right after this show, so the timing was deliberate. Expect the cropped jackets, the drapes and that embroidered black jacket to turn up again well before the season ends.
