Tarun Tahiliani, fondly known as TT, is one of the reigning deities of fashion, and he’s in no mood to slow down. After soft-launching his luxury prêt-a-porter label, OTT, Tahiliani at the Lakmé Fashion Week x FDCI in October 2024, the couturier of cool is taking the ‘offline route’ with a debut store in Gurugram’s Ireo Grand View High Street. The space aligns with his design language—a blend of heritage and modernity, from taupe cement walls, antique gold accents, brass statues, and Art Deco. The collection reimagines traditional Indian silhouettes—the dhoti, jama, farshi, pheran, sari—with modern tailoring. Signature elements like jewel printing with embellishments, chikankari, kashida embroidery, intricate draping, and handcrafted details are part of its DNA.
Tahiliani links his new label to 2003 when he was the first designer to show at Milan Fashion Week. “The time is finally ripe for such a luxury ready-to-wear line,” he explains. OTT, not to be confused with ‘over the top’ is clean, understatedly haute and versatile. The silhouettes are fluid and universally flattering, presented through an extensive range of modern separates: gilets to capes, soft jackets to belted kaftans, and dresses.
Like always, prints are an integral part of the Tahiliani chic. This season, he has weighed in with Indian artists Ram Kumar and Ravindra Dutt. “A most exciting adaptation was a pichwai-inspired lacework embroidery,” he shares. Having designed for the Indian woman for decades, he understands diverse body types. “That’s why many of our silhouettes are adjustable, draped, or size-fluid,” he says.
Tahiliani’s ability to have a finger on the pulse of evolving Indian consumer keeps him relevant while others fall off the catwalk. Celebrity stylist Aastha Sharma, who has worked closely with the designer on several occasions, believes the silhouettes, embroideries and even the fabrics he picks are very current. “They’re not limited to saris and lehengas; you will see pantsuits, drape dhotis and a lot of western silhouettes. This is also why his pieces resonate with the younger generation.” For ageless fashion, that’s quite a statement.