A Runway of Little Dreams and Grand Whimsy
At Lakmē Fashion Week in partnership with FDCI, the Gauri & Nainika collaboration with global brand Mothercare brought a refreshing burst of youthful energy to the runway.
Photo : FS Media Pro / FDCI x Lakme Fashion Week / RISE Worldwide
From the first step on the runway, there was a shift in mood — softer, sweeter, yet impossibly sophisticated. Gauri & Nainika unveiled a whimsical collaboration with Mothercare, and suddenly, fashion week felt touched by wonder.
Spring–Summer 2026 arrived wearing a painter’s heart. The designers looked toward oil-painted canvases, dark roses steeped in romance, moody still-lifes, and luminous florals that seemed to glow from within. But the magic wasn’t just in the references — it was in the scale.
This time, the brand extended its signature glamour to miniature couture.
Silk organza, mikado, tulle, chiffon — fabrics beloved in their mainline — were reimagined into tiny silhouettes with grand gestures. Full skirts twirled. Velvet ribbons framed smiles. Bows and lace whispered vintage charm. And then came the delightful jolt: black-and-white polka dots — a graphic wink to playfulness amidst painterly romance.
On the runway, little girls walked hand-in-hand with models. Not as props — as protagonists. Their dresses mirrored the opulent eveningwear beside them: duchess satin in deep jewel tones, silhouettes tailored to the drama of dreams. This intergenerational choreography wasn’t just adorable; it was a statement of continuity — luxury as a language shared between mother and child.
Gauri & Nainika captured a profound truth:
Femininity isn’t learned.
It’s felt — pure, instinctive, inherited.
The collection, though youthful, held the brand’s DNA tightly — sweeping shapes, theatrical detailing, a cinematic romance stitched into every seam. But seeing that world distilled for children made it feel freshly enchanted.
As the final bow approached, one thing was clear: childhood may be fleeting, but style — the kind rooted in joy and imagination — is beautifully timeless.
