Re-considering high fashion’s relationship to artisanal craftsmanship, so as to better honor the tradespeople at the heart of the brand, Kartik Research surprises and delights with an empowering debut.
By Jesse Scott
There are outstanding fashion week debuts, and then there is what Kartik Kumra, founder of New Delhi based brand Kartik Research, paraded down an intimate catwalk on the closing afternoon of Paris Men’s Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2026. Kumra, who describes his brand as 'Indian Future Vintage,' has had no shortage of success in his four years running the brand; in fact, he opened his first physical location on New York’s Lower East Side only two months ago. Yet, this June marked his official entrance into Paris fashion’s high society, and his unconventional but meticulously curated approach to the occasion won him a warm welcome from the many industry luminaries in attendance.
Kartik Research, like many brands at the current flashpoint, is centered on artisan craftsmanship. Yet Kumra’s brand inverts our expectations of this paradigm; rather than molding 'artisan craftsmanship' to fit within the existing codes of contemporary high fashion, Kartik seeks to mold contemporary high fashion in the image of how the artisans themselves dress. 'There is an innate quality to the way craftspeople dress,' he told us in the show notes. 'It is as if they have an understanding of textile that most of us will never be fortunate enough to appreciate or achieve; one that can only be achieved through proximity to the process.'
The Indian craftspeople that form the heart and soul of Kartik Research may be far removed from the streets of Paris and Milan that this season’s collections may grace. However, the Parisians and Milanese are also far removed from the streets of Gujarat and Bengal, and the instinctual stylistic codes developed there by some of the world’s leading textile workers. Through this collection, Kumra is seeking to bridge the gap. He spoke with reverence about a man in Gujarat who had, 'replaced the buttons on his shirt with an ornamental silver necklace where the pendants had been looped through the placket,' and a weaver ;'wearing a 10-year-old kurta and work pant cut from an indigo dip dyed fabric that had been sun faded to a dusty blue and stitched and mended multiple times.' Both pieces stood out for their authenticity, originality, and fine detailing, themes that Kumra emphasized throughout this collection.
The Devil’s in the Details
The magic of this collection lay in the many asymmetries and ornamentations on each piece. Intricate Indian embroidery was omnipresent, always in striking patterns, and, from jackets to pants, frequently appearing on surprising parts of garments (Looks 10, 12, 23). The most covetable pieces from the collection were the blazers, which balanced Western and Indian tailoring and were possessed of a sensual nonchalance. Accessories pulled each look together with beaded necklaces and belts (Looks 6, 13, 16), providing a sensibility that paradoxically was traditional in medium and contemporary in form.
Kumra Expands his Universe
Inspired by his many female clients, who expressed the wish that Kartik Research make clothes better tailored to them, Kumra launched his first womenswear pieces this season. He also delved into the footwear realm to further expand his exponentially growing universe. That universe does not stop with clothing. Every aspect of the Kartik Research Paris Fashion Week experience was meticulously considered. This was one of the best-cast shows of the season, with Ben Grimes and Tiago Martins overseeing a team of models that unfailingly commanded the runway and the attention of everyone on it. Hair stylist Matt Mulhall and make-up artist Lisa Michalik directed a coup de grace in their own right, while the haunting music perfectly fit the themes of the collection.
Make no mistake; Kartik Kumra is playing by his own rules. In the show notes, he described how he recently developed a tonal 'crash' kantha embroidery on matka silk for a customer’s wedding suit. The customer ghosted, presumably taken aback by the unexpected qualities of the piece, but Kumra was so enamored with the method that he trotted it down the runway, and to applause, this season. Kumra’s approach is one of measured audacity, and in an oversaturated industry, it’s one that is more than welcome. Kartik Research may be the newest debutante at Paris Fashion Week, but if this show is any indication, it will soon be one of the hottest tickets on the calendar.