Vintage influences meet modern sensibilities in this collection by Hemant and Nandita
From sundrenched mornings and leisurely vacations to garden soirées and moonlit celebrations, Hemant and Nandita’s Summer’26 captures the many moods of the season. The latest offering from designer duo Hemant Lalwani and Nandita Raipurani unfolds like a summer day in motion, moving effortlessly from breezy resort dressing to elevated evening glamour. Rooted in nostalgic femininity yet designed for the modern woman, the collection blends vintage-inspired silhouettes, fluid fabrics, and the label’s signature florals with a renewed focus on versatility and self-expression. Through a palette that shifts from soft, sun-washed hues to richer after-dark tones, the collection is equal parts romantic, contemporary, and wearable. Nandita Raipurani shares the inspiration behind the edit.
Hemant and Nandita’s Summer’26 collection transitions effortlessly from day to night
Excerpts:
Summer ’26 unfolds across three distinct chapters — Resort Escape, Garden Party, and Summer Nights. What inspired you to design the collection as a seasonal journey?
For me, a collection is never just about clothes — it’s about the moments you imagine wearing them. Summer isn’t one thing. It begins with slow mornings and vacations and gradually moves into warm evenings that often become the most memorable part of the season. I also think women dress very differently today. They’re looking for pieces that can move with them through different occasions rather than something meant for just one event. Whether it’s a relaxed daytime look or an evening outfit, the idea is to create clothes that feel effortless, feminine, and easy to make your own.
The edit revisits silhouettes from the ’30s and ’40s, including drop waists, empire lines, and bias drapes. What drew you to these vintage references?
Fashion has always moved in cycles, and that’s what makes vintage references so timeless. We were drawn to details like drop waists, empire lines, and bias draping, but wanted to reinterpret them through our lens. We softened the structure and paired these silhouettes with lighter fabrics, relaxed proportions, and our signature prints. The goal was to create pieces that feel nostalgic yet modern, timeless yet relevant to the woman we design for today.
Nostalgic femininity is at the heart of this collection. What does femininity mean to the brand in 2026?
I think femininity means something different to everyone today, and that’s what makes it so exciting. It’s no longer about fitting into one definition or aesthetic. It’s about self-expression and wearing what feels most like you. The woman gives meaning to the clothes, not the other way around. For us, femininity can be soft, bold, romantic, effortless, or all of those things at once. Ultimately, it’s about individuality, confidence, and creating clothes that adapt to the woman wearing them.
Versatility is a strong theme this season. How has the modern woman’s lifestyle influenced your design process?
The way women dress today has changed because their lifestyles have changed. They’re travelling more, attending a wider mix of occasions, and drawing inspiration from countless sources, including social media. When we design, we think about building a wardrobe rather than creating standalone pieces. That’s why this collection moves seamlessly from easy silhouettes for travel and daytime dressing to elevated dresses for celebrations and evenings out. We want our pieces to fit naturally into a woman’s life, wherever she’s wearing them.
Florals have long been synonymous with the label’s aesthetic. How do you continue to reinvent a signature without losing its essence?
Florals have always been very personal to Hemant and me. They’ve been part of our world for as long as I can remember, from the places we’ve travelled to the little details in our everyday surroundings. The challenge isn’t moving away from florals; it’s continuing to see them differently. Every season we explore new colour stories, scales, techniques, and ways of layering them. Some things become classics for a reason. They evolve with time without losing what made people connect with them in the first place.
How do colours help you build an emotional narrative?
Colour is usually one of the first things we respond to emotionally, even before we notice the silhouette or details. For Summer ’26, we wanted the colours to mirror the journey of a summer day. It begins with softer, sunwashed tones that remind you of travel, beaches, and slow mornings before moving into richer shades inspired by sunsets and late evenings. We don’t choose colours based only on trends. We think about the feeling they create and how they support the story we’re trying to tell
Has comfort become the new definition of luxury in fashion today?
Absolutely. The way people define luxury has changed. Today, it’s not just about how something looks; it’s about how it feels to wear. If a garment is beautiful but uncomfortable, people are far less likely to reach for it again. That’s why we work with fabrics that feel light, breathable, andeffortless. We want women to feel comfortable enough to wear our pieces all day, whether they’re travelling, celebrating, or simply enjoying a summer afternoon. To me, real luxury is when something looks special but feels easy to wear.
The campaign mirrors Summer ’26’s progression from daylight to evening. How closely did the campaign influence the final garments?
The campaign is something we start thinking about much earlier than people might expect. Once the direction of the collection is clear, we naturally begin imagining the world it belongs in — the light, the location, and the feeling we want people to experience. With Summer ’26, the idea of moving from daylight into evening existed from the very beginning. The campaign didn’t dictate the clothes, but it definitely grew alongside them. By the time we shot it, the imagery felt like a natural extension of the collection rather than a separate story.