THE MAHARAJA OF MEHRAULI

It's been an action-packed year for Tarun Tahiliani, the emperor of Indian couture.

- SALONI DHRUV

ON THE EVENING of 30 July, chaos reigned at New Delhi's The Ashok hotel. Journalists, influencers, editors, sponsors, and Tarun Tahiliani's inner circle milled around the banquet hall entrance, braving the Delhi heat in their couture finery. The anticipation was contagious. Tahiliani, one of India's OG couturiers, was set to show-case a spectacle of a collection just days after receiving backlash for the underwhelming ceremonial outfits he designed for Indian athletes at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The clock ticked on. The show was running an hour late. Inside, seating was scarce. We barely squeezed in before the doors were shut, leaving many of the guests stranded outside. The lights dimmed and for the next 30 minutes, Tahiliani presented an extensive couture collection consisting of 110 looks, from flowing lehengas and delicately draped saris to sharply tailored menswear, all centred around the designer's signature “India Modern” ideology. Applause erupted as the designer took his bow in the end.

Later that night, social media went abuzz: After the pres-entation, Tahiliani staged an encore, ensuring everyone-mean-ing those left outside-got to experience his couture showcase. While netizens were quick to salute the designer for this uncon-ventional decision, for Tahiliani himself it was “a mess”, as he now says emphatically. We're at Tahiliani's atelier in Ballard Estate, the colonial-era business precinct located at the south-ern tip of Mumbai, discussing that infamous night. It's now early November, peak wedding season, and despite the controversies he's faced this year, his sumptuous store is buzzing with at least a dozen clients. “I was backstage, as I always am, and someone said, ‘Tarun, just do it again.’ At first, it didn't register.