Rohit Gandhi + Rahul Khanna have, over the decades, shaped a refined, contemporary voice in Indian fashion. From their signature sharp tailoring to their sculptural elegance, we explore the vision, values, and creative chemistry that define their label.
By Nichola Marie
With ‘The Light Within’, Rohit Gandhi + Rahul Khanna’s Festive 2025 collection celebrates inner radiance and quiet strength. The collection captures the spirit of the modern muse, self-assured, softly powerful, and luminous in her individuality. This festive collection captures that luminosity in forms that feel sculpted by light, draped in Dreamy Gold, brushed in Champagne Silver, and kissed with Jewel Greens. These tones of reverie and richness echo the quiet grandeur of the season. Crafted in diaphanous silk organza, airy tulle, fluid satin, and luxurious silk satins, each silhouette is embroidered with emotion, light-catching crystals, gossamer sheers, sculpted panels, and weightless metallics that blur the line between sensuality and structure. The garments do not just adorn; they become a language — speaking in shadows, sparkle, and silence. Not a collection for women who need the spotlight, it is designed for those who carry ‘the light within’ – much like the designers themselves!
Showcasing modern elegance with a flair for understated red-carpet fashion, Rohit Gandhi + Rahul Khanna are synonymous with innovative silhouettes and globally appealing designs. Their signature aesthetic blends intricate surface detailing, metallic embellishments, soft neutral tones, and sculptural forms, creating looks that effortlessly balance allure with sophistication. This distinctive blend of structure and subtlety keeps them firmly on trend while retaining a timeless, classic appeal.
Excerpts from the interview…
As founding members of FDCI, you’ve had a front-row seat to the evolution of Indian fashion. Over the past 25+ years, what are some of the most significant changes you’ve observed in the industry?
The world has changed over these years; it is more than a quarter of a century! We started in an era where there was no social media. In India, fashion was very nascent. But now you see the new marketing campaigns and the designers are mushrooming… there’s a whole influx of fashion that is going to be taken seriously, like in other countries where the fashion industry is strong. Finally, our government is also recognising it. So, a lot of positive changes, but also a few negatives, such as fast fashion and too much overproduction happening. Many high-street brands keep changing the trends and have new collections every few weeks. Things are being ruthlessly dumped. We need to become more conscious and not produce that much.
Can you take us back to how your collaborative story in fashion began?
We were friends in NIFT. We were travelling to London where we saw that everybody was concentrating on a single clothing item, like we saw a shop which was only doing socks, another that was only doing ties. So, we came back to India and said let’s open something for menswear. There was nothing called ready-to-wear at that time. We wanted to make something which was simpler and affordable but still a designer brand, which we accomplished with H2O, a brand for only shirts. After that, came Cue which was a formal workwear brand for women, offering jackets and trousers. Cue was an instant hit! I remember we showcased at Ogaan and that is how our label started.
What’s the dynamic like when two distinct designers collaborate so closely — how do you make it work?
We are very different from each other but it’s scary how similar our thoughts are when it comes to design! That said, we are both each other’s best critics and bring out the best in each other. We don’t know how other designers do it single-handedly, but we can’t even imagine doing something solo. So yes, lots of fights, lots of quarrels but, in the end, good results!
Looking back, do you feel you were ahead of the curve when it came to ready-to-wear fashion in India?
Yes, we are the pioneers of ready-towear. I think we were the first to start ready-to-wear brands H2O and Cue with brand names and not designer names; our brand Rohit Gandhi + Rahul Khanna came much later. Our brand H2O is still alive and kicking; it’s our baby.
What key moments or achievements have defined your evolution as designers over the years?
Well, we have won numerous fashion awards in India and abroad, and have forayed into the international market for 10+ years. In 2005, our designs were picked up by Tranoi, a Paris-based agency, and we have been showcasing our collections at the International Fair in New York and Paris for the past several years. We have sold at around 80-odd stores worldwide from Selfridges to Harvey Nichols and Bloomingdale’s, we still have a permanent section at the latter two.
There have been many, many ups and downs. We have travelled a lot, and selling and seeing our brand with other internationally established brands has been the biggest high for us.
That apart, we have opened several standalone Rohit + Rahul stores. We have showcased in Paris, and we were invited to show at the Amsterdam Fashion Week. Dressing up celebrities is another high; we have dressed many national and international celebrities.
What defines the signature style of the Rohit Gandhi + Rahul Khanna label?
Our hallmark would be the use of metallic amalgamated with modern edgy elements, and the use of surface techniques or embroideries, which have been reinvented from our old traditions of Indian heritage. We have iterated them in a more modern and contemporary manner. And our silhouette – I think our USP has been construction tailoring, which also now exists in our Indian couture. Our Indian lehengas and blouses are all infused with bustiers and corsets, which give a different look. We are blending tailoring, craftsmanship and surface ornamentation.
How did your focus move from prêt to couture? And what excites you about designing for the couture space?
Our first love is always going to be ready-to-wear because we love to sell to more and more people and make things affordable. But couture is something we enjoy. The start of couture was a happy accident – it came about because of the lockdown. We had about 200 karigars who were sitting idle and we wanted to give them work and help them earn. So we gave them heavy embroideries and surface ornamentation to start work on at home. They would come to Delhi for a couple of days, collect the material and return to their villages to work on it. It flourished and we launched two exciting collections!
What’s your roadmap for the future?
The future of our brand is collaboration; we have collaborations with different brands, and the collections are in the pipeline.
