Designer Manish Malhotra Makes Heads Turn With India's First Couture Party

Designer Manish Malhotra is a creative genius and he has proved that creativity and fashion have no format. At the India Couture Week, Manish hosted a couture party, skipping the traditional ramp show format. A redefining moment in the history of haute couture and fashion weeks, the world over.

As soon as the news went out, the glitterati world was abuzz with curiosity. The fashion press went to town with the news. The couture party invite wasn't giving away much either. He wanted to“redefine and reimagine a couture night”. And he didn't want to do a formal runway for sure. He clearly wanted a larger-than-life royal party.

By definition, a fashion couture party is a high-fashion event, where designers showcase their latest couture collections in an exclusive, intimate setting. Unlike traditional runway shows, these parties emphasise a more immersive and social experience, blurring the lines between designer, model, and guest. They often feature elements like live performances, curated decor, and opportunities for guests to interact with the designs and the designers themselves. After more than five years, Manish decided to do something unusual. So, we spoke with the man himself.

“After over five and a half years, coming back to India Couture Week felt incredibly special and I knew I didn't want to return with just another show. It had to be personal. It had to be different,” Manish said in an exclusive interview to City Times.

The couture party was held on July 26 at the Taj Palace in New Delhi. Models glided through the venue wearing ensembles from Inaya, the designer's newest collection, merging eveningwear with global glamour and Indian craftsmanship. The event also featured a curated archival showcase of Malhotra's most loved creations and an exclusive presentation of his high jewellery line, bringing style and heritage under one roof.

“No formal runway, no front rows, just a couture celebration with music, legacy, food, flowers arranged just the way I like them at home, and an energy that felt like home,” he said.“From showcasing cherished archival pieces and our high jewellery collection to debuting Inaya in the most intimate, immersive way, this night was about you, and me, and all of us, celebrating the spirit of couture together.”

The highlight of the evening were the iconic costumes from Manish's archives that were on full display.

Bollywood to Met Gala

An exclusive set up was done with mannequins placed one after another wearing creations that made history. From Bollywood to Met Gala, every piece that made news and created memories was on display at the party. They included Kajol's famous neon green lehenga from the evergreen Bollywood hit Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Kareena Kapoor Khan's outfit from the song Bole Chudiyan from Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, Natasha Poonawalla's Met Gala gown, Rekha's unforgettable look for Vogue cover and many more from the designer's timeless archives. This was a beautiful way to tell the story of these timeless creations.

The highlight at the party was Brazilian supermodel Alessandra Ambrosio, flown in exclusively for her first-ever collaboration with an Indian designer. Making her debut as 'the muse' in The Lady Crystal Diamond, a bespoke creation by Manish Malhotra, she embodied the spirit of the evening: global sophistication fused with Indian artistry.

The look, featuring crystal embroidery and structured draping, shimmered with restrained opulence, cementing its place as the most talked-about couture moment of the season. For her second look, Ambrosio unveiled The Pearl Story, an evolution of the couture house's signature pearl ensembles, following the iconic appearances of Adriana Lima and Coco Jones. Ambrosio wore a structured crinoline skirt paired with a layered tulle corset, drenched in cascading pearls and sequins.

The evening also marked the launch of a trend forecast by Manish Malhotra: cocktail saris with crystal pallus, envisioned to redefine after-dark dressing for the modern Indian woman. Alongside these were swirl skirts with hypnotic movement, contoured and rouged gowns, and sculpted blouses, each designed to bring a sense of fluid glamour to the night. For men, sculpted silhouettes came through in sharply tailored suits, cropped bandhgalas, and elevated eveningwear that redefined the rules of formal dressing.

From regal brooches and heirloom jhumkas to sculptural cufflinks and collar pins, the Manish Malhotra High Jewellery showcase added an opulent dimension to the night, enhancing both womenswear and menswear with signature sparkle and precision craftsmanship.

The guest list

Every VIP, socialite and influencer wanted to be on the guest list.

Celebrities included the acclaimed actors Tamannaah Bhatia, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Taha Shah Badussha, Shalini Passi, Kalyani Saha and many more.

But the party was something more exclusive, according to Saha.

“Fashion shows are a colossal expense. As important as it is to showcase every season, I feel the need to do it depends on the commercial viability of mainly sales and also branding which is necessary,”she said.

“But a party such as this, also cleverly showcasing the brand, is a brilliant idea instead of having the usual format. Models, celebrities alike wearing the brand but also socialising and having fun. Most importantly, Manish always does everything so beautifully and tastefully. The Couture Party was definitely so much fun and special,” Kalyani said.

Fashion shows are getting saturated indeed. During fashion week, shows can be overwhelming - crowded seating, delayed starts, and a mad dash to the next event. In contrast, after-parties offer a welcome respite, providing a more relaxed and intimate setting for designers, celebrities, and industry friends to unwind and socialise after a hectic day of shows.“These exclusive gatherings allow guests to shed the formality of the runway and connect with others in a more laid-back atmosphere. So what Manish did is perhaps pick a cue from there and create his own magical world and termed it a couture party. This one was very inclusive, everyone was interacting, enjoying a beverage while showing some fab fashion,” content creator Saru Mukherjee Sharma said.

The ambience was designed to reflect Manish Malhotra's signature style, with moody lighting, mirrored accents, and sculptural florals that brought his vision of decor to life in Delhi.

Without a traditional runway, the evening flowed naturally and allowed guests to engage more closely with the couture as it moved through the space. So, will India fashion weeks see the couture party trend becoming a norm anytime now? Diet Sabya, an anonymous yet popular fashion watchdog on social media, said,“I don't think so. It'll take a special kind of designer to pull it off because guests, clients and editors hate watching a show standing. Like they hate it. They want to be seated. So probably a one-off.”

For the first time ever, the designer featured an all-women line-up of musical talent. DJ Kayan opened the evening with her distinct blend of electronica and soul, followed by noted singer Jonita Gandhi's live vocals and Lush Lata's genre-bending sounds that kept the energy unexpected and dynamic throughout the night. It was also good to see iconic model Sonalika Sahay walk for the designer. One of the highlights of the evening was the expansive grazing table, personally curated by Malhotra. Cascading blooms, subtle pastel palettes, and unstructured wild textures by Interflora India transformed the venue into an extension of Manish's world making it feel both elegant and personal, bringing his signature decor vision to Delhi in a beautifully organic way.

It depicted a celebration of couture and most importantly a celebration of Manish Malhotra's history with fashion, creativity and Bollywood.“Couture party is a fantastic idea. Manish's attention to detail is incredible and he loves to come up with fun ideas. Couture Party is a trend to watch out for. It's interactive, free flowing and intimate,” says Shalini Passi who wore a vibrant yellow sari gown for the party.

The couture party's creative direction and set design was led by Sumant Jayakrishnan, known for his cinematic approach to immersive storytelling.

Jayakrishnan worked closely with Malhotra to ensure the spatial design aligned with the vision: intimate, fluid and unbound by convention.

Amid all the media madness, fashion commentary, glitterati and showbiz, there's a valid point that Manish is trying to make: fashion has a history and it must be told.“I created an archival of my work as I wanted the audience to watch, observe, admire and honour the fashion icons who have worn my creations and made them iconic,” he said.

“Be it Rekha-ji, Kajol, Kareena, Natasha, Coco Jones, Rihanna and so many more. Every look of these celebrities tells a story,” he said.“It's 35 years of my work in cinema and 20 years of the label. It is the brand's commitment to artistry and craftsmanship. I don't want couture to be serious. I want people to have fun with fashion, fashion that creates history.”

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