Presented at Taj Lands End, Mumbai, the show brings together the timeless artistry of Mijwan’s women artisans with Manish Malhotra’s distinctly contemporary couture language. Founded by the late poet Kaifi Azmi and led by Shabana Azmi and Namrata Goyal, Mijwan Welfare Society has grown into a powerful platform for women’s livelihood and empowerment through the preservation of Chikankari. Manish’s association with Mijwan began in 2010, creating a long-standing dialogue between the craft of rural India and the world of couture. Over these 15 years, this collaboration has touched the lives of over 40,000 women, creating pathways to skill, opportunity and independence.
For 2026, Mijwan enters a new fashion vocabulary. The intricate hand of Mijwan Chikankari and Chikankari jaali is translated into a world of sculpted corsetry, architectural tailoring and fluid draping. Tone-on-tone embroidery, intricate floral and geometric motifs, scalloped borders and dense hand-embroidered surfaces meet sequinned Chikankari, embroidered lace and delicate sheer layers. Three-dimensional floral appliqué and consciously sourced feather detailing bring movement and theatricality to the collection, while velvet, lace, silk and fluid lightweight fabrics create a dialogue between richness and weightlessness.
Silhouettes move with equal ease between the traditional and the unexpected; extravagantly detailed lehengas, sharara-inspired proportions, draped saris and high-volume skirts alongside boned corsets, sculpted peplums, sharp-shouldered longline jackets and contemporary evening separates. The collection’s palette travels from the depth of Bordeaux, deep burgundy and navy to the ethereal softness of old rose, blush, fawn, nude, ivory, sage, mint and soft peach, creating a tension between jewel-toned intensity and romantic lightness.
Menswear continues the conversation through contemporary sherwanis, elongated bandhgalas, embroidered evening jackets and relaxed Indo-Western tailoring. Velvet, jacquard, botanical embroidery and sheer layering reinterpret traditional forms with a more fluid, modern sensibility.
At its heart, the collection is a meeting of two worlds: the precision of Mijwan’s hand embroidery and the drama of contemporary couture. Fifteen years after the beginning of their association, Manish Malhotra and Mijwan continue to demonstrate how an enduring craft can evolve without losing the soul that makes it extraordinary.
Completing the couture looks is Manish Malhotra High Jewellery, bringing the language of masterful craftsmanship to the runway through sculptural, heirloom-inspired jewels. Created in the House’s signature spirit of contemporary grandeur, the jewellery amplifies the collection’s interplay of light, texture and movement, transforming each look into a complete expression of modern Indian luxury. Alia Bhatt wore a luminous heirloom necklace of diamonds, uncut diamonds and pearls, featuring over 310 carats of pearls that caught the light with every movement, complemented by earrings and the signature MM Haathphool. Vicky Kaushal wore the House’s signature Lion Collar Pins, set with diamonds, alongside a striking necklace of tanzanite and uncut diamonds, featuring over 30 carats of tanzanite.
The evening is brought to life with a collective of partners who share the world of fashion, beauty, technology, time, hospitality, banking and celebration. Taj InnerCircle, the hospitality partner, IndusInd Bank, the banking partner, KAYALI, the fragrance partner, brings an olfactive dimension to the evening; Dyson, the hair tech partner, brings innovation to the artistry of beauty backstage; Titan, the watch partner, marks the occasion through its enduring language of precision and design; while Woodford Reserve, the celebration partner, sets the tone for an evening of couture, craftsmanship and celebration.
“Mijwan has been such a special part of my journey for the last fifteen years. My association with Shabana Ji, Namrata and the entire Mijwan family has been incredibly close to my heart. Chikankari is a craft I have always loved, and over the years, we have celebrated it, experimented with it and taken it into the world of couture in so many different ways. For me, Mijwan is about keeping a beautiful tradition alive while constantly giving it a new expression. I am so proud of how far this journey has come and so excited for everything that is still to come.” – Manish Malhotra