There’s a moment at every fashion event when you realise you are, in fact, the least well-dressed person in the room. It usually happens under the unflattering glow of a hotel buffet, staring at an overcooked pasta dish while surrounded by people who look like they walked straight out of a Renaissance painting. At the FDCI India Men’s Weekend 2025, presented by Chivas Luxe Collective Perfumes, this moment arrived early. Set against the opulent backdrop of Jaipur’s Diggi Palace, the event wasn’t just a showcase of menswear; it was a declaration that Indian menswear has entered an era which is both rooted in heritage and flamboyant with its future at the same time. 

In frame - Arjan Dugal

For two days, models—sorry, impossibly well-dressed avatars of aesthetic perfection—took to the runway in everything from scandalously short shorts to ensembles grand enough to send a Maharaja into an existential crisis. If there was ever a moment when Indian menswear fully embraced fearlessness, irreverence, and artistry in equal measure, this was it. 

Day 1: A Tapestry Of Tradition And Transformation  

In frame - Vivek Karunakara

Vivek Karunakaran’s IDAM opened with a collection that felt like a whispered conversation between heritage and modernity. Inspired by Tamil Nadu’s Tirukkural and temple craftsmanship, it unfolded in Madras checks, delicate embroidery, and jasmine motifs rendered in silk organza and linen. This year, Karunakaran pushed further, incorporating Tamil script as a design element—ancient verses woven into the fabric.  

Arjan Dugal’s Vintage 2030 felt like a fever dream where nostalgia and futurism collided. Zardozi met florals, Japanese motifs floated across organza, and his signature gramophone logo became a symbol of time’s fluidity. A fascination with Uzbeki ikat and shibori added further layers of craftsmanship, while his mother’s words—“Arjan, you are my legacy”—gave the collection an emotional resonance beneath its impeccable tailoring. 

In frame - NoughtOne 

At NoughtOne, Abhishek Paatni brought the thrill of the racetrack to the runway with Reflection, a collection where MotoGP graphics met oversized fits and parachute fabrics. “It’s race gear, but for a first date,” he quipped, summing up the essence of a collection. 

Then, the rebellion began. 

Antar Agni’s BRB was a masterclass in effortless subversion—no trends, no templates, just instinctual, boundary-breaking design. Son of a Noble (SNOB) blurred structure and movement with prints inspired by rippling water, while Nitin Bal Chauhan’s Chamunda transformed Chamba’s Devi Kothi Temple murals—India’s own Sistine Chapel—into divine streetwear.  

In frame - Antar Agni

Samant Chauhan turned road trips into rugged textures,  exploring the untamed spirit of bike travel in “On the Road Again”, while Pawan Sachdeva made streetwear poetic with hand-painted brushstrokes and existential slogans—“Creatives are new athletes” and “Your comfort zone will kill you”—announcing themselves in bold monochrome, daring men to rethink their wardrobes. But are you listening? 

In frame: Rohit Gandhi + Rahul Khanna

Then came the heavyweights. Varun Bahl’s Whispers of Spring turned Emily Dickinson’s poetry into a garden of sheer kurtas and obi-style belts, while Rohit Gandhi + Rahul Khanna’s Akoya crafted pearl-studded fever dreams into regal menswear. 

Closing the night, JJ Valaya and Shantanu & Nikhil took things to poetic extremes—Valaya with his signature maximalist opulence, and Nikhil’s son, Vivhan, walking the runway clutching a book, tulips, and a poem, as if stepping out as if he is in a sepia-toned memory. 

In frame: Shantanu & Nikhil 

Day 2: A New Wave Of Menswear Moves 

If Day 1 was about heritage, Day 2 was pure audacity. 

In frame - Mandira Wirk

Mandira Wirk went full yacht-party mode with breezy marine aesthetics, icy blueprints, and Sex and the City-level flair. In contrast, Mahima Mahajan took on masculinity itself, blending sharp tailoring with subversive touches—think velvet sherwanis, oversized coats, and crystal butterflies on navy blue florals. Maximalism had a new patron. 

Elsewhere, Nikita Mhaisalkar borrowed from African tribal aesthetics with bold geometrics and earthy hues, while Nirmooha explored love’s quiet resilience in deep crimsons and faded indigos. And yes, men’s corsets—denim ones that too. The back is now officially the hottest place to put embroidery, just saying. 

In frame - Nikita Mhaisalkar 

Bloni stayed ahead of the curve with gender-agnostic silhouettes and experimental fabrics. Passages merged natural dyes, vegan rubber, and raw gemstones into a vision of avant-garde luxury. “Crystals, when left unpolished, are more beautiful,” Akshat Bansal mused, blending Moradabad hand-hammering with chrome electroplating. 

Then came the gut punch. Countrymade turned grief into fashion, crafting a collection inspired by charred aircraft fuselage. After losing his brother, Squadron Leader Samir Abrol, in a crash, designer Sushant Abrol transformed the wreckage into a metaphor for memory and resilience. The result? Garments in black, silver, and grey, with buttons resembling broken aircraft fragments—haunting, raw, and utterly moving. 

Sushant Abrol, Countrymade

Then, Khanijo, delivered a tempest of punk defiance meets royal grandeur. Inspired by the legendary love story of Dhola and Maru, the collection was rebellion and romance in equal measure—styled theatrically, of course. 

Siddartha Tytler cranked the energy up with a high-voltage display of urban opulence, inspired by New York City's raw energy, combining gothic grunge with precision tailoring, capturing dynamic tension between structure and movement, as he put it.  

In frame - Khanijo

Sahil Aneja’s PLAY MORE was designed for those who treat life as a non-stop runway, with the designer blending comfort with style through dynamic silhouettes, vibrant hues, innovative textures and a healthy amount of laces. Dhruv Vaish introduced "AETHER," balancing structure and ease, featuring silhouettes that shift and lines that break, designed for those navigating the in-between. 

Manoviraj Khosla focused on traditional Kantha embroidery and Batik work, incorporating the disappearing art forms into various menswear silhouettes, from sherwanis to bomber jackets. On the other hand, Rohit Kamra Jaipur, blended Indian royalty with international trends, featuring signature Jodhpuri jackets and breeches, redefining classic silhouettes with a bit of aristocratic elegance.  

In frame - Rajesh Pratap Singh

Ashish N Soni channelled the effortlessly stylish men of European summers with double denim, high-waisted baggy jeans, oversized blazers, and relaxed tailoring. Then, in a study on understated luxury—Rajesh Pratap Singh proved that simplicity, when done right, is louder than excess. His showcase was a masterclass in sharp tailoring and quiet confidence, punctuated by models arriving on Royal Enfield Classic 350s, because why just walk when you can ride? 

As the last model disappeared behind the curtains one thing became clear: Indian menswear is not waiting for approval, permission, or validation. It has arrived, on its terms, and it’s here to stay.