Khushi Kumar's London Fashion Week debut: A global design journey comes full circle

At just the right intersection of heritage and horizon stands Manchester School of Art graduate Khushi Kumar—a UK-trained designer whose journey from New Delhi to London has shaped a distinctly global design language. With early experience embedded within the London Fashion Week ecosystem and professional stints spanning export houses, PR firms and luxury fashion—including time at Christian Dior—Khushi has built what she describes as a 360-degree understanding of design, styling, client strategy and brand positioning.

Clothing as armour and second skin

Now, she returns to London not behind the scenes, but on the runway. Her label, KHUSHI KUMAR, debuted at Fashion Scout’s Ones to Watch catwalk during London Fashion Week—a moment she calls “deeply personal.”

“Making my debut at London Fashion Week is deeply personal,” she says. “It represents years of building, questioning, and shaping my voice as a designer between India and London.” There is a sense of full circle in her words. “It’s such a full-circle moment to be back in London and showcasing my own work after years of working for other designers at fashion week and also working in luxury fashion in London previously. I get to bring back my own true sense of what luxury is to London, and there is no deeper joy than that.” For her, the showcase is not an endpoint. “It feels like the beginning of a long journey rather than a final milestone.”

The opportunity itself evolved organically. Having previously worked with Fashion Scout, Khushi had built relationships grounded in trust and shared vision. “Over time, through sharing my work and vision, the conversation evolved into this showcase,” she explains. “It felt like a very natural coming together at the right moment in my journey as an emerging designer.”

At the heart of her debut collection, titled KALANTA, lies a trilogy: Protection, Air and Identity. The collection explores the idea of “house” not as a structure, but as a presence carried within the body. “Garments act as gentle armour,” she says, describing a balance between structure and softness, weight and lightness. Embroidery, zari and velvet are integrated intentionally—not as surface decoration, but as narrative elements that trace the body. Floral and vine motifs speak of growth and lineage, reflecting her belief that “a house evolves with the woman who inhabits it.”

Why protection, air and identity? For Khushi, these are not abstract concepts but lived realities. “Protection comes from my idea of clothing as emotional armour—garments that hold and shield the wearer.” Air, meanwhile, represents “movement, breath, and freedom, especially when navigating between cultures.” Identity anchors everything. “It sits at the centre of my work, expressed through elements like the Zari logo insignia and coded details that signal belonging and personal narrative.” Together, they frame clothing as something that carries memory and meaning beyond appearance.

Silhouettes reflect this philosophy. Structured tailoring forms the base, softened by fluid, enveloping layers. The palette moves through deep burgundies and warm rose golds that feel intimate and grounded. Capes, in particular, hold symbolic weight. “They act as protective layers and extensions of the self,” she explains, “almost like carrying one’s space or aura around the body.”

Her use of Banaras zari and burgundy velvet underscores her commitment to Indian craft. “Using Banarasi zari was my way of honouring Indian textile heritage and the hands behind the craft,” she says. “It brings a quiet richness and history into contemporary silhouettes.” Burgundy velvet, meanwhile, “adds depth and sensuality; it holds light beautifully and evokes warmth, nostalgia, and occasion.”

Khushi is clear that tradition, for her, is not static. “I don’t see tradition as something fixed,” she says. “I reinterpret it through context, styling, and silhouette rather than costume.” Her aim is to translate the emotion and craftsmanship of Indian textiles into garments that feel globally relevant. “I want Indian textiles to be a part of the modern wardrobe.”

Beyond the debut, her vision remains deliberate. “My focus is on continuing to build the brand,” she says, speaking of deeper artisan collaborations and immersive storytelling around the idea of “the house.” Growth, she insists, will be slow but meaningful—with narrative always at the core.

—manuvipin@newindianexpress.com

@ManuVipin

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