Designer Gazal Gupta has expanded her retail footprint with a new luxury store at Dhan Mill in New Delhi. The 5,000-sq-ft space, spread across two floors, embodies the brand's philosophy of ‘restrained luxury,’ blending vintage Indian maximalism with baroque architectural elements.

The store’s interiors were inspired by traditional Indian craftsmanship, with design features created and sourced from across the country. In-house elements like ornamented pillars, ceiling motifs, patterned flooring, jeweled chandeliers, and marble inlays highlight the brand's focus on indigenous design and detailing.

The new space will feature all of Gazal Gupta's luxury collections, including demi-couture, prêt, and resort wear, along with signature prints. The brand is also introducing its menswear line for the first time. The store's layout is designed to provide dedicated spaces for each collection, giving customers a comfortable and seamless shopping experience.

While Gupta led the creative vision, the project was executed in partnership with architect Sanchit Arora and his team at Renesa Architects.

Gazal Gupta notes, the significant growth from her first 500-sq-ft store to this new flagship location in one of the city's most prestigious neighborhoods. She credits her team, partners, and customers for the brand's success.

According to Gupta, Dhan Mill has become a key hub for luxury fashion and lifestyle retail in New Delhi. With this expansion, she aims to deepen its connection with customers and reinforce its presence in India's premium fashion market by offering one of the largest luxury retail spaces in the area.

Prominent Indian apparel and retail powerhouse, Arvind Fashions’ net profit rose tenfold to Rs 13 crore in Q1 FY26, as compared to just Rs 1 crore in the same period last year.

The company’s revenues increased by 16 per cent Y-o-Y to Rs 1,107 crore from Rs 955 crore in Q1 FY25. This significant growth was fueled by strong traction across all sales channels, underscoring the company's effective market strategies.

A pivotal factor in this outstanding performance was the continued expansion of its direct-to-consumer (D2C) channels. The company saw an 8.1 per cent like-to-like (LTL) sales growth, complemented by over 30 per cent growth in its online B2C segment. This highlights a successful shift towards consumer-centric digital engagement.

Gross margins expanded by 60 basis points to 55.9 per cent, a testament to more disciplined pricing and reduced discounting. EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization) rose by 20.3 per cent Y-o-Y to Rs 148 crore, with margins improving by 50 basis points to 13.4 per cent. This margin expansion occurred despite a strategic 140 basis points increase in advertising spend, indicating that marketing investments are yielding strong returns. The company’s Profit Before Tax (PBT) rose by 64.6 per cent Y-o-Y to Rs 39 crore in Q1 FY26.

Shailesh Chaturvedi, Managing Director & CEO, Arvind Fashions, avers, Q1 FY26 witnessed a bright start to this year with revenue growth reaching 16 per cent. This is a testimony of the company’s conscious efforts of investing in higher marketing to re-energize their industry-leading brands, leading to strong awareness and higher footfalls along with market share gains. Moving ahead, Arvind Fashions will continue to focus on their direct channel strategy, resulting in higher bottom-line & ROCE, he adds.

India’s leading casual and denim brand, Arvind Fashions boasts a diverse portfolio that includes popular international labels like U.S. Polo Assn., Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, and Arrow, alongside well-known indigenous brands such as Flying Machine.

Indian menswear label Asuka Couture has released its latest collection, ‘Loomsongs: Embroidered Linen.’ The collection features embroidered linen pieces designed for men who value soft textures, craftsmanship, and a poetic touch in their style. It offers a fresh take on elevated everyday dressing.

The ‘Loomsongs’ collection reinforces the brand’s commitment to combining Indian craftsmanship with contemporary silhouettes, redefining quiet luxury for the modern man. Each piece is made from premium linen sourced from India and Italy and tailored using German and Japanese techniques. The designs feature light textures, earthy tones, and nature-inspired embroidery that evokes the sound of rustling leaves, wind, and birdsong.

Piyush Mohnani, Founder and Creative Director, Asuka Couture describes the collection as being about ‘ease and depth.’ He adds,  it’s a reminder that true luxury doesn’t shout - it flows, moves, and lingers like a song.’

‘Loomsongs’ is designed for warm-weather events like weddings and daytime celebrations. The collection embodies Asuka Couture’s core philosophy, where each garment tells a story of heritage reimagined for today.

The collection is available at Asuka Couture’s flagship stores in Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Dubai, as well as online through Pernia’s Pop-Up, AZA, and Ajio Luxe.

Marking a significant step for the design-forward travel gear brand, Eume has opened its first flagship store at Phoenix Mall of Asia in Bengaluru. .

Serving as a hub for Eume’s complete product range, the new store features  their popular backpacks, trolleys, and laptop bags, alongside the standout Eume Trunk. The collection highlights India’s first zipperless, 100 per cent aluminum cabin luggage, a product that reinforces Eume’s pioneering position in the high-luxury travel segment.

Naina Parekh, Co-Founder, Eume says, this new store allows customers to feel, explore, and experience travel gear through a bold, elevated lens.

Eume has deployed a transparent mobile showroom and an eye-catching truck gallery that showcase the brand's signature collections. This unique installation traveled through key Bengaluru hubs like Bellandur, Manyata Tech Park, EGL, and CV Raman Nagar, effectively capturing attention and offering an on-the-go preview of Eume’s distinctive brand personality and product craftsmanship.

Founded in 2017 by Naina Parekh and Pranay Parekh, Eume established itself as a digital-first brand, gaining recognition particularly for its innovative massager backpacks. This physical expansion signifies their commitment to providing a more immersive brand experience for consumers.

Leading e-commerce platform, Flipkart has launched a new program to boost the growth of direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands in I        ndia. Known as ‘Fashion Spotlight’, this initiative focuses on digital-first brands, especially those from smaller towns and cities aims to help them overcome barriers in scaling their businesses.

The program is launching just in time for India's 2025 festive season, which is a major sales period for fashion. Flipkart plans to expand the program tenfold by the end of the year, bringing on approximately 500 brands and democratizing the D2C fashion landscape.

While product innovation in India's fashion sector is thriving - from sustainable fabrics to traditional designs - many entrepreneurs struggle with discovery and distribution. Fashion Spotlight is designed to close this gap by leveraging Flipkart's extensive consumer data, merchandising expertise, and platform reach. The program is built on three key pillars including curated discovery, iterative product feedback and guaranteed visibility.

Flipkart has already seen significant growth from D2C fashion brands on its platform, with Rare Rabbit growing over 500 per cent Y-o-Y, Miraggio by more than 2,300 per cent, and Zouk by over 200 per cent.

Going beyond traditional accelerator models, Fashion Spotlight integrates Flipkart's full suite of technological capabilities. This includes features like video cataloging, image search, live commerce, and virtual try-ons, which create a tech-powered environment for fashion entrepreneurs to scale their businesses with confidence.

The program's timing aligns with a shift in the Indian fashion market, where consumers are increasingly prioritizing trends, identity, and comfort over just low prices. With one in three new Flipkart users making their first purchase in the fashion category, the company is positioning itself as a key growth driver for the D2C fashion ecosystem.

Men's lifestyle brand XYXX has launched India’s first seamless vest for men, the ‘Element Invisible Vest.’ Expanding XYXX’s Essential range, this new addition blends technical precision with ultimate comfort.

The launch of the ‘No Show: Invisible Vest helps XYXX address the real need for innerwear that not only performs but also boosts the wearer’s confidence, says  Yogesh Kabra, Founder. The

Vest helps modern Indian man feel more put-together, every day, he adds.

Engineered for a clean, non-restrictive fit, the Invisible Vest is crafted from ultra-soft, breathable super combed cotton, which XYXX claims is twice as soft as regular cotton. Its seamless construction ensures no visible lines, irritation, or bunching, allowing it to be worn smoothly under both formal and casual attire.

This ‘No Show’ vest highlights XYXX’s dedication to innovation-led design and its mission to elevate innerwear for today's Indian consumer. Based in Surat, the brand was launched by Kabra in 2017, according to business intelligence platform Tracxn.

Madame’s latest collection aims to tap into the growing demand for vacation wear. Titled, ‘Be Right Back’ the launch of this new collection aligns with the brand’s focus on seasonal collections that address evolving consumer preferences in travel and casual fashion.

Offering lightweight and breathable clothing options suitable for travel, the BRB range includes dresses, linen co-ord sets, printed cotton shirts, T-shirts, and tropical-inspired designs.

Transitioning across multiple travel and leisure scenarios, the collection caters to consumers seeking functional yet fashionable clothing options.

Sumedha Jain, Head-Marketing, Madame says, designed for women who understand true style, the collection focuses on authenticity and confidence. The apparel pieces in this collection embody carefree vacation mindset while ensuring customers look effortlessly chic whether they're strolling along the beach, enjoying brunch with friends, or exploring a new city. It's fashion that moves with you and adapts to your adventures.

With garments placed in the range of Rs 1,500 and Rs 6,500, the collection is available at Madame’s physical retail stores across India, as well as via its website madameonline.com and other e-commerce platforms.

Indian luxury fashion designers, Shivan Bhatiya and Narresh Kukreja have collaborated with A chic French lifestyle brand, L’Atelier 1664 to launch an exquisite capsule collection titled, ‘L’Atelier 1664 X Shivan & Narresh.’

This collaboration is a striking fusion of L'Atelier 1664’s signature Sapphire blue with Shivan & Narresh's design aesthetics, embodying the very essence of luxury and leisure. The collection features four sophisticated ready-to-wear styles and one sublime accessory, all celebrating the joy of art-de-vivre (the art of living).

The pieces showcase intricately crafted knits, abstract patchwork, and reimagined trellis patterns, creating a dynamic interplay of design, dimension, and depth. Rich hues and painterly strokes evoke an indulgent, expressive summer vibe, perfect for the discerning individual who truly embraces the Art of Holidays.

Partha Sarathi Jha, Vice President- Marketing , Carlsberg India, states, this collaboration marks an exciting beginning for L’Atelier 1664's series of unique, aspirational experiences and products, offering connoisseurs a tangible piece of French elegance.”

Shivan Bhatiya, Head Designer, and Narresh Kukreja, Creative Director, Shivan & Narresh, share, designing this limited-edition capsule for L’Atelier 1664 was a seamless meeting of minds and aesthetics. At the heart of this collaboration lies a shared philosophy — an ode to refined indulgence, elevated craftsmanship, and expressive design. The synergy between both brands allowed us to translate the timeless elegance of 1664 Blanc into a sartorial language marked by intricately crafted knit structures, abstract patchwork, and a bespoke reimagining of the iconic trellis.

The partnership was facilitated through Lakmē Fashion Week, leveraging the platform's long-standing commitment to fostering dialogues at the intersection of design, culture, and lifestyle.

This highly exclusive collection will be available for a limited period of six months, sold only at the Shivan & Narresh’s Kala Ghoda store in Mumbai.

Homegrown Indian sneaker brand Gully Labs has successfully raised Rs 8.7 crore in a seed funding round to expand its operations and strengthen market presence.

The funding round comprises Rs 7.6 crore in equity and Rs 1.1 crore in venture debt. Zeropearl VC led the equity component, with participation from Untitled Ventures, Atrium Ventures, and a group of prominent angel investors. This latest funding round follows Gully Labs' earlier pre-seed round in 2024, where the brand secured $130,000 (Rs 1.1 crore) in equity.

The newly acquired capital will be strategically invested in expanding the brand’s product portfolio, strengthening its sales channels, and launching exclusive retail stores to support its omnichannel growth strategy.

Founded in 2023 by Arjun Singh and Animesh Mishra, Gully Labs has quickly gained recognition for its distinctive sneaker range that seamlessly blend craftsmanship with cultural narratives. The brand specializes in handmade sneakers that fuse premium materials with rich Indian stories. From Phulkari-inspired embroidery to Onam-themed designs, each collection pays homage to diverse traditions through a contemporary fashion lens.

Currently, Gully Labs sells its products through its official website and select partner stores in major Indian metropolitan areas. Looking ahead, the company plans to significantly increase production capabilities, broaden its design range, and strengthen its domestic and global footprint. A key element of this growth strategy involves launching branded retail outlets across key markets.