Tarun Tahiliani celebrated his India Modern philosophy with a landmark showcase that united fashion, architecture, craft and cultural memory at Hyderabad’s historic British Residency, marking 30 years of redefining Indian couture.
By Nichola Marie
In January, in Hyderabad, Tarun Tahiliani marked three decades of shaping India’s contemporary fashion vocabulary with a landmark showcase at the iconic British Residency. More than a fashion event, the evening unfolded as an immersive journey through couture, architecture, craftsmanship and cultural history — an embodiment of Tahiliani’s enduring India Modern philosophy.
Set within one of Hyderabad’s most storied colonialera landmarks, the celebration began as a curated walkthrough of the brand’s creative universe, culminating in a grand runway presentation. Tahiliani unveiled a new couture collection alongside the latest offering from his luxury pret line, OTT — a modern, versatile wardrobe for the global Indian.
Built in the early 1800s by James Achilles Kirkpatrick, the British Resident at the Nizam’s court, the Residency is a Palladian mansion marked by Corinthian columns, sweeping staircases and chandeliered halls. Constructed by Indian craftsmen and shaped by Hyderabad’s Indo-Islamic court culture, it stands as a rare symbol of cultural collaboration.
For Tahiliani, the venue carried deep personal resonance. “I grew up in post-Partition India in a world that was both socialist and deeply westernised. Like so many of my generation, I was educated in English, taught to admire British manners, architecture and dress, while being quietly divorced from our own indigenous traditions. Fashion changed that for me. It took me across India, into handloom clusters, embroidery ateliers, draping traditions and dyeing crafts. And in that discovery, I realised how refined, layered and modern our own aesthetic has always been.”
That awakening became the foundation of India Modern — not as nostalgia, but as synthesis.
“It felt only right that our 30-year showcase be held at a place that physically embodies that vision,” Tahiliani said. “A structure whose style is British, but whose soul is unmistakably Indian. A monument that stands at the intersection of two worlds that shaped the way I think, feel and design.”
A Walk Through 30 Years Of Craft & Innovation
Conceived as an immersive exhibition, the showcase unfolded across the Residency’s grand interiors, revealing the ideas and disciplines behind Tahiliani’s work.
The journey opened with the Jali Room, spotlighting the designer’s signature lattice motif — reinterpreted over three decades through embroidery, laser-cut surfaces and engineered textiles. Here, jali was presented as structure rather than ornament, its geometry eventually giving rise to the brand’s double T (TT) motif, inspired by the mathematical concept of Pi and infinite possibility.
The next rooms celebrated dialogue and collaboration. Obeetee’s handwoven carpets were paired with Tahiliani’s chikankari garments, highlighting shared values of rhythm, repetition and human precision. Elsewhere, de Gournay’s hand-painted wallpapers formed a backdrop for Pichwaiinspired couture — monochromatic lehengas adorned with painted and embroidered motifs, finished with pearls and navratna.
Descending the Residency’s grand staircase, guests encountered suspended draped garments displayed in pure form, allowing the logic of the Indian drape to take centre stage. The exhibition’s heart lay in the doubleheight Grand Hall, where toile mannequins and choli bust forms revealed the architectural discipline behind Tahiliani’s couture.
“This is not a retrospective,” Tahiliani explained. “It is a transparent view of how clothes are built, how drape informs structure, and how Indian dress logic continues to evolve.”
The Runway: Couture & The Contemporary
The evening concluded in the Residency’s outer courtyard with a runway show presented in six chapters — ranging from Nautch and Mughal Memory to Indian Formals, Rabari, and the refined ease of OTT pret — before culminating in a grand couture finale built on thousands of hours of handwork.
Together, the exhibition and runway reinforced a singular idea: India has never been defined by a single aesthetic lineage. Its strength lies in exchange, hybridity and reinvention. “Drapery, lightness, tradition, craft, and freedom — this is India Modern,” Tahiliani said.
As Tarun Tahiliani enters his fourth decade, the anniversary showcase stood as both reflection and declaration — of a design philosophy rooted in legacy, driven by innovation, and forever evolving.
Excerpts from our interview with Tarun Tahiliani…
Discovering fashion
“The first fashion show I ever saw was Pierre Cardin’s in Bombay (Mumbai), and it completely changed my life. It was lyrical, poetic, effortless and utterly beautiful. I had always sketched, but I never knew this world existed. I came back and sketched and sketched — it felt like discovering perfection.”
Birth of Ensemble
“We saw beautiful things abroad, but we couldn’t find anything in India. There was so much talent that was going outside. That night, my wife suggested starting a store to promote Indian design. We used an abandoned warehouse, and that’s how Ensemble — the country’s first multi-designer store — was born.”
Formally studying design
“When I didn’t make it to the exchange programme in France, I went into a real depression. I thought, is there really no Indian designer good enough even for an apprenticeship? My wife told me to stop moping and go learn properly. FIT saved me — I would have otherwise fallen flat on my face.”
Delhi shaping his design language
“Bombay (Mumbai) was an important starting point, but it was Delhi that truly fuelled my creativity. It showed me a new India — away from Anglicised schools and clubs. Being close to the crafts belt gave me access to artisans, textiles and techniques that fundamentally shaped my design language.”
Building an ecosystem, not just a brand
“Setting up the Fashion Design Council of India came from the need to create belonging. Designers needed a platform and a marketplace. The whole is always greater than the sum, and we wanted something that represented Indian fashion while celebrating innovation and design.”
The birth of ‘India Modern’
“When we showcased in Milan, the world was finally paying attention to Indian talent. We presented chikan, saris and Mughal miniatures in a contemporary language. That moment marked the birth of what became our signature — India Modern.”
Growth and leadership
“Unless you stay very small and couture, you can only keep great talent if they grow — and you have to grow for them to grow, for everyone around you to grow. The challenge is to do that without dropping standards, which is the easiest thing to do.”
Legacy and the future
“I believe the brand should eventually pass on to the people being groomed within the company. Like European fashion houses, they will be the real custodians of the brand — not necessarily family, but those who truly understand its soul.”
Did you know?
The designer is charting a bold expansion strategy, with plans to scale the brand to rupees 600–700 crore. Alongside strengthening his ready-towear and premium offerings such as Tasva and OTT, he is placing renewed emphasis on growing a strong physical retail presence.
