Celebrating thirty years at the forefront of Indian fashion, Tarun Tahiliani chose to stage a profound declaration of his philosophy. His immersive showcase at Hyderabad’s historic British Residency was a living embodiment of ‘India Modern’—an ethos he has spent decades refining.

“I grew up in post-colonial India, in a world that was both socialist and deeply westernized,” Tahiliani shares in a candid conversation. “We were educated in English, taught to admire British manners and architecture, while quietly divorced from our own indigenous traditions. Fashion changed that for me.”

That change was a journey inward, one that took him across the country into handloom clusters, embroidery ateliers, and dyeing crafts. It was there he discovered an aesthetic he describes as inherently rich, layered, and intellectually modern. “That journey became the seed for India Modern,” he explains. “A contemporary synthesis of who we are.”

This synthesis was physically embodied by the venue itself. The British Residency, a Palladian mansion built in the 1800s by James Achilles Kirkpatrick, stands as a symbol of cultural collaboration. Its style is British, but its soul—and the hands that built it—are unmistakably Indian. For Tahiliani, it was the perfect setting. “It felt only right that our 30-year showcase be held at a place that physically embodies that vision,” he says. “A monument at the intersection of two worlds that shaped how I think, feel, and design.”

The evening unfolded as a narrative, guiding guests through rooms dedicated to craft dialogues—pairing Obeetee carpets with chikankari, de Gournay wallpapers with Pichwai-inspired lehengas—before culminating in a runway show conceived as six distinct chapters. It began with ‘Nautch’, a powerful celebration of the Indian body. Tahiliani projected paintings of courtesans onto the Residency’s columns, using AI to animate them, and sent out looks with built-out hips and corseted silhouettes. “We’re telling women to own it,” he states. “You don’t have to conform to anything in the West. That beautiful, narrow, rounded hip is gorgeous.”

This confidence is hard-won, stemming from what he calls an “unintended” journey through failure and rediscovery. “I learned everything by falling on my face,” he admits, recalling early struggles with fabric and construction. He even battled imposter syndrome after opening his first store. “I remember suddenly being called for a fitting and not having a clue what to do.”

But those failures forged a path. He pursued technical training, merged it with Indian craftsmanship, and over two decades, built an ecosystem. “We’ve created a workspace where people love what they do,” he says, noting women in their seventies who refuse to retire. His focus has sharpened further with OTT, his luxury pret line. “Indian clothing is for weddings; it’s all becoming costume,” he observes. “OTT is using Indian craft, but it’s completely contemporary. Fashion has to be relevant in everyday life.”

Now, at 63, Tahiliani believes his best work is ahead. “I’m in a sweet spot,” he says. “I can finally combine technique with all the Indian workmanship I’ve learned. I know how to make it wearable, flexible, and modern.” He works out “like a dog,” maintains a near-monastic focus, and spends six, sometimes seven days a week at the studio, driven by pure passion.

His vision extends beyond the atelier. After COVID-19 lockdowns devastated migrant artisan communities, his brand established local craft clusters so workers could stay in their villages with their families. “There’s a huge social context to what we do,” he reflects. “I want to make people feel part of something bigger.”

As the industry evolves, he views the current state of Indian fashion with optimism—it’s more stratified, aware, and technically proficient than ever. Yet, he cautions against the noise of Instagram and the spread of machine-made goods masquerading as handmade. “Luxury is not about projection,” he insists, recalling advice from the late, stylish Meena Modi: “I don’t need a logo. I put my hand in the bag, and my hand tells me if it’s luxury.”

For Tahiliani, true luxury is the alchemy he has spent 30 years perfecting. It’s in the drape that informs structure, the colonial tailoring fused with Mughal embroidery, the fearless embrace of a hybrid identity. “We are layered. We are fusion. We are contradiction,” he says. “And in that contradiction lies our strength.”

His final thought is both a summary and a mission statement: “Drapery, lightness, tradition, craft, and freedom—this is India Modern.”

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Images & Feature Image: Supplied