By mid-2024, even the world’s most famous family, the Kardashians, had become deeply entwined with India’s flourishing glamour scene. At Anant Ambani’s and Radhika Merchant’s wedding, Kim Kardashian wore a striking ruby-red lehenga paired with a tasselled choli, diamond jewellery, and a tikka headpiece symbolising the third eye. And it wasn’t just the Kardashians: Zendaya had already made waves in 2023, appearing in a Rahul Mishra sari gown at the NMACC launch.

This growing affection for India among fashion’s biggest names is far from an isolated incident, especially following last night’s release of Pharrell’s fifth presentation as creative director of menswear at Louis Vuitton. In the lead-up to the Louis Vuitton SS26 show, Pharrell teased his inspirations through a photo dump on Instagram — among the images were snapshots of himself in India, standing before a sandstone wall, alongside a still from Wes Anderson’s The Darjeeling Limited, a film that uses India as both a backdrop and narrative anchor.

It raises an intriguing question: what thread connects Louis Vuitton, Pharrell, Paris Fashion Week, and India? Louis Vuitton is a brand built on the idea of travel, and the fusion of global references, like Paris and Miami in the recent men’s Pre-Fall collection, has become a recurring theme in Pharrell’s vision for the house. Yet when the show finally unfolded in Paris, the connection to India wasn’t immediately obvious. The presentation opened with live music, a Pharrell hallmark, and unfurled with the signature LV theatrics and tight choreography with no explicit reference to the subcontinent.

While tailoring and dandyism remained central, the clothes were designed for warmer climates. Structured yet breathable fabrics — such as silks and fine wools — offered a balance of elegance and ease. Layering was minimal, with clean lines and relaxed silhouettes. Vintage cues from the 60s and 70s appeared through khakis, pinstripes, and sun-faded browns — all classic, but none overtly South Asian. However, these choices began to signal something deeper: the practicality and poise of Western tailoring, long adopted and reinterpreted by Indian men, particularly in urban centres where tradition and modernity coexist. Pharrell’s subtle references seemed to echo the multifaceted language of Indian dress that has been shaped by geography, light, and cultural rhythm.

This layering of influence — both literal and conceptual — laid the groundwork for deeper cultural resonances that came into focus in the show’s details. It was here in the fine embroidery and colour work that the conversation between Western luxury and Indian craft revealed itself. The garments and leather goods burst with rich, saturated colours and intricate embroidery, drawing heavily from Indian tailoring traditions. Features such as Nehru collars, mirror work, and flowing drapes — reminiscent of kurtas and dhotis — are seamlessly fused with Western silhouettes, resulting in a fresh, thoughtful hybrid. Perhaps it was Louis Vuitton’s mind-expanding approach to fashion, rooted in global travel, that activated the idea of a shared visual language: one shaped by a respect for artisanship, cultural sensitivity, and the emotional pull of beauty rooted in place.

Because what truly sets the Louis Vuitton SS26 collection apart isn’t just the clothing itself,  it’s the feeling it evokes. It transcends fabric and form, transporting the wearer into another cultural register. This is a collection that merges history, memory, and aesthetics into something deeply personal and powerfully evocative. It honours India through sound, craftsmanship, and space — with Studio Mumbai as a key collaborator — creating an immersive narrative that is culturally aware and reverent, not appropriative or careless. Lest we forget the era when bindis became pop culture accessories and Bend It Like Beckham inadvertently introduced South Asian culture to a generation in Western Europe. In contrast, this moment is one of intentional recognition and artistic alignment.

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