The lives of Rohit Gandhi and Rahul Khanna as couturiers is filled with constant movement. There’s always something happening—targets, deliverables, new collections et al. But it’s in the quiet stillness of the night that they get time to reflect and recharge. Born out of this solitude—a deceptive contradiction to their ebullient social personas—is their new collection, Nocturnal.
“It was an exercise in humility, reminding us of the delicate balance between control and letting go; an emotional process that brought us even closer to our purpose of creating thoughtful garments,” says Gandhi, one of the few Indian designers with an intellectual bent. Translating the awe that the night sky evokes into something tangible and wearable did not, however, come easy. “This collection is about embracing the feelings that surface when the vastness of the universe confronts you,” he adds.
It is sounds like the Indian fashion business has got its own Carl Sagan. Nocturnum is a celebration of opposites. There is structure and fluidity, formality and flow, straight lines and soft curves, all of which come together to create a line that is dynamic and polished. “We’ve played with light and dark, precision and spontaneity to create modern classics, where each outfit tells the story of cosmic transformation,” says Khanna, who confesses to his perennial fascination with stars, meteors, and the vast mystery of the universe.
“There’s something incredibly potent about its darkness and the way it reveals bursts of light and energy. All our discussions about the line were centred around capturing the moment when the night sky’s secrets are revealed in flashes. We wanted to bring that ethereal, almost surreal, quality into our designs,” he reveals.
This translates through sumptuous velvets, glittering silk satins, and diaphanous tulles. “For rich tones we used mocha gold, depicting the light trails left by meteors; detailed beadwork provides crystal embellishments and metallic threads add celestial sheen.
The motifs take their inspiration from the geometric precision of celestial bodies,” says Gandhi. They are particularly proud of their menswear line. “The structure of the long-tail jacket in mocha gold is bold and refined, with three-dimensional embroidery.
The rich colour, combined with delicate beadwork and metallic threads give the piece a celestial quality resembling the light and movement of a star streaking across the night sky. This jacket represents the essence of Nocturnum—a perfect blend of earthbound material and cosmic inspiration,” says Khanna.
Another key piece is a tailored suit that re-imagines classic formal wear. The suit features unexpected cutouts that add a modern edge. “It speaks to the collection’s overarching theme of transformation,” according to star-gazing Gandhi.
The twin turbines of the fashion industry have done with couture what they wish to with their hands. Touch the sky.
Availability: Rohitandrahul.com