The recently concluded Lakmé Fashion Week, in collaboration with FDCI, was nothing short of spectacular. With show after show leaving audiences spellbound, it was no easy task for the Fashion & Style Buzz team to pick just five favourites.
While choosing, we looked at creativity, originality, wearability, and how well each collection could translate into real-world business, especially since buyers from around the globe were present, each with their own preferences. This season felt like a strong comeback, making up for the years lost during the pandemic.
Here are our top 5 designers who truly stole the show at Lakmé Fashion Week x FDCI 2025.
Sanjukta Dutta
Sanjukta Dutta’s collection Gadhuli was a celebration of color, culture, and couture. Crafted in mulberry silk and adorned with traditional Assamese motifs, the showcase beautifully blended heritage with global appeal.
Staying true to her Assamese roots, Sanjukta expanded beyond the classic Mekhela Chadar to include silhouettes, dresses, and lehengas paired with contemporary tops, all made from handloom fabric. Gadhuli was a vibrant mix of festive elegance and modern expression, reflecting India’s rich textile heritage through a fresh, fashion-forward lens.
Samant Chauhan
Since launching his label in 2005, Samant Chauhan has built a name synonymous with refined craftsmanship and timeless luxury. Known for his love of indigenous fabrics like Bhagalpur silk and intricate embroidery, his designs always tell a story of depth and detail.
This season’s collection, titled First Breath, lived up to its name, a breathtaking play of light and darkness. Swarovski crystals added a gentle shimmer to the fabrics, while the embroidery remained delicate and ethereal. With sharply tailored, elongated silhouettes cinched in all the right places, the collection perfectly balanced fragility and strength.
TIL by Ankur Verma — Breathe
Ankur Verma, a NIFT Kolkata graduate and founder of TIL (established in 2022), has consistently struck a beautiful balance between craft and inspiration. His latest collection, Breathe, brought a sense of calm and freshness to the runway.
Patchwork and Kantha stitch detailing added tactile richness to handspun cotton, cotton-silk, and organza, fabrics chosen for their lightness and fluidity. Expert layering, sheer overlays, and relaxed silhouettes created an effortless aesthetic that celebrated comfort and mindfulness.
Breathe felt like a reminder to slow down, appreciate life’s quiet moments, and embrace serenity amid chaos.
Pankaj & Nidhi
Design duo Pankaj & Nidhi unveiled Araquis, a collection that reimagined eveningwear through the lens of regal futurism and warrior elegance.
The show unfolded like a dreamscape, a desert empire where royalty dressed in couture that fused strength with sensuality. The palette drew from the hues of a sun-baked landscape: deep browns, smoked copper, burnished gold, and flashes of silver and blue that shimmered like desert mirages.
Each garment showcased extraordinary craftsmanship, with textures resembling molten dunes and metallic sheens. Flowing gowns, structured jackets, and fluid drapes came together to create an exquisite balance between power and grace.
Aseem Kapoor
For his collection Akaar, Aseem Kapoor looked to the ancient Nazca Lines of Peru for inspiration. Channeling their mystical geometry, he transformed motifs of spirals, hands, and hummingbirds into stunning embroidery and prints.
The result was a collection that blended the sacred with the contemporary. Structured tailoring met free-flowing fabrics, creating silhouettes that were both dynamic and poetic. The drapes were sculpted to perfection, while stitched glyphs and line-mapped prints told stories of connection between art, spirit, and form.
Akaar wasn’t just fashion, it was a spiritual journey that celebrated the deeper essence of style.
Lakmé Fashion Week x FDCI 2025 proved that Indian designers continue to redefine creativity with every season, fusing tradition, innovation, and storytelling into unforgettable runway moments.
