Tarun Tahiliani reimagines couture show: Why his biggest statement this season had echoes of protest too

6 min readNew DelhiJul 27, 2026 05:00 PM IST Bang in the middle of India Couture Week, 24-year-old designer Rishabh wasn’t just thinking about couture. Between fittings and final preparations at Tarun Tahiliani’s atelier, he found time to join fellow students from Delhi University protesting at Jantar Mantar over the NEET paper leak. “I balanced my commitment on both sides,” says the young designer, now part of Tahiliani’s team. The veteran couturier himself encourages his young designers to travel, absorb cultures, question conventions and return with ideas that enrich their work. “That was the first thing he asked us during the interview,” recalls Rishabh. “Can you question the status quo and reinterpret what already exists with your own individuality?’ That’s when I realised fashion, to