This slow-fashion label by Aarushi Garg just debuted at Paris Fashion Week!

Qala, derived from Persian and Urdu , means art, craft or skill, often evoking the soulful mastery behind creation. When Arushi Garg’s label, Shiro Mani India, earned its place on the Paris Fashion Week runway, it was a chance to represent India’s artistic legacy on one of the world’s biggest stages. And that thought paved the way for this artisanal womenswear label to debut its Spring/Summer 2026 collection, Qala, in the French fashion capital.

Reimagined palettes

“I knew this collection had to be more than just a celebration of one tradition; it needed to be an ode to the many languages of Indian art. That’s how Qala, our Spring/Summer 2026 edit, was born,” Aarushi begins. The new collection draws from a spectrum of regional art forms, including gond from Madhya Pradesh, warli from Maharashtra, miniature paintings, pattachitra from Odisha and kalamkari from Andhra Pradesh.

“Unlike our earlier collections that focused on a single Indian art form, Qala brings together multiple art forms, making it our most diverse and visually layered edit,” she shares. The prints in Qala celebrate India’s artistic diversity, each reinterpreted with a contemporary twist. While the brand has stayed true to the essence of the art forms, it has consciously reimagined their palettes.

Artistic sensibilities

“For instance, traditional kalamkari typically uses deep primary tones, but we introduced soft pastels and baby pinks, giving it a fresh, summer-ready identity. Gond’s signature dots and lines have been transformed into abstract stripe patterns and motifs like pomegranates (anar), adding playful symbolism to the collection. Each print begins as a hand-painted artwork, later digitally adapted to preserve every brushstroke’s texture and emotion. For the first time, we’ve also incorporated hand embroidery to highlight certain motifs, blending art with a subtle touch of craftsmanship,” she notes.

Once the prints and artworks for Qala were finalised, Arushi shifted her focus to how they could be translated into silhouettes that felt both relevant and timeless. “Our research process for Qala was quite organic. We observe real people: what they’re wearing at malls, on the streets and across different age groups and cities. These everyday observations help us understand what feels timeless and relatable. From there, we identified key patterns and shapes that aligned with our artistic sensibilities. The result is a collection that bridg es the past and the future art forms born centuries ago, reinterpreted through silhouettes that feel effortlessly modern,” the founder reveals.

Texture tales

The edit features around 22 styles, each designed to strike a balance between structure and ease. The silhouettes were designed to create versatile pieces that can transition seamlessly from day to night.

“We wanted every look to feel wearable yet distinctive, so we combined classic cuts with subtle experimental touches, allowing the artinspired prints to remain the hero of each garment. In Qala, we’ve experimented more boldly with form and texture. While the pieces remain true to the brand’s philosophy of wearable art, this edit leans slightly more toward everyday wearability. You’ll see gathered detailing, embroidered accents (a first for us) and pre-draped or stitched saris that merge comfort with elegance. The dresses feature added volume and movement and the cuts are more stylised than ever before. It’s also our most colourful collection yet, much like the art forms that inspired it,” she elucidates.

Consious contrast

Like all previously rolled out by the label’s collections, Qala, too, is fashioned from 100 percent biodegradable cotton. “This distinction is impor tant because many fabrics marketed as cotton often contain blends, which prevent full biodegradability and leave a lasting impact on the environment. Our cotton, by contrast, naturally decomposes without harming the earth,” Arushi adds.

The collection is also coloured using natural, azo-free dyes, which are almost entirely chemical-free, ensuring that every ensemble is both safe for the wearer and kind to the planet. Our favourites from the edit are Vantara co-ord set, Gond Hiran Peplum top and skirt, Gond Abstract Sripes Lapel shirt and Skater skirt.

₹5,000 onwards. Available online.

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