From ocean depths to sculptural finesse: Rohit Gandhi and Rahul Khanna decode the making of ‘Abyssal’

When Indian couture’s most architectural and visionary minds discuss the ocean’s deepest secrets, you know something extraordinary is coming. With their latest couture chapter ‘Abyssal’, celebrated designer duo Rohit Gandhi and Rahul Khanna blend quiet power with their sculptural silhouettes and luminous craftsmanship.The designer legends are known for their razor-sharp tailoring and futuristic embellishments, and this time they have turned their gaze towards the fascinating depths of the oceans. It is where light fades, and beauty gradually reveals itself. For their Spring Summer Couture 2026, the designers reinterpreted underwater stillness through their fashion lens, making their ensembles feel commanding and contemplative.

This new collection channels the deep hypnotic calm of the sea and balances it with fine architectural precision, with a fluid charm. In this exclusive conversation, Rohit Gandhi and Rahul Khanna decode the inspiration behind their latest collection and also shed light on the challenges of preserving couture’s depth in the fashion-forward world.Question 1: What emotions did you want the wearer to experience? Was it power, stillness, or sheer mystery?With Abyssal, we were drawn to the idea of quiet power. There’s a stillness in the collection, almost like that moment underwater where everything slows down, but beneath that calm, there’s intensity and life.

We want the wearer to feel composed and self-assured, not loud or performative.Question 2: If ‘Abyssal’ explores the ocean depths where light disappears – what truly drew you to this metaphor at this point in your creative journey?'Abyssal' is more than just a metaphor to us; it comes from lived experience. We’ve always been drawn to nature, and in one particular experience, we paused and really observed how light filters through water. It doesn’t flood the space all at once, allowing shapes to reveal themselves naturally and gradually. That moment stayed with us and became the starting point of our imagination for our summer couture 2026.

Question 3: Your work has mostly leaned toward architecture. How does ‘Abyssal’ evolve that signature?Architecture has always shaped the way we design, and we think a lot about structure, balance, and proportion. We’ve continued to do so with Abyssal, but there is a sense of juxtaposition due to the fluidity added through subtle layering and contouring, especially in womenswear.Question 4: If you had to describe the collection in three words besides 'depth', what would they be?Luminous, Immersive & Quintessentially RGRK Question 5: What makes your creative partnership work so seamlessly?After so many years, it comes down to trust and understanding each other’s working styles and making room for both opinions.

We naturally work in sync; sometimes one of us begins an idea, and the other intuitively knows how to take it forward.

Question 6: What challenges is Indian couture facing in this digital-first world?The real challenge today is translating the depth of couture into a digital space. A garment that takes hundreds of hours to craft can’t always be fully understood through a screen. Social media moves quickly, but couture is built on patience, detail, and time. The balance lies in communicating the extent of the workmanship online, without ever designing for the algorithm.

Question 7: Your designs always represent India beautifully. What inspiration do you take from the cultural fabric of the country to portray it so beautifully in your garments?Our journey has always been about representing the spirit of India, but we’re not interested in replicating heritage as it exists. We prefer to reinterpret India through a contemporary lens and don’t rely on overt traditional motifs. Instead, we use Indian techniques and reinterpret them to tell universal stories. For example, 'zardozi' in Abyssal is to represent the ocean’s depths.