The oversized hats captured the audience’s attention at Dubai Fashion Week, becoming an instant favorite. These sculptural, dramatic creations were the highlight of Kresha Bajaj’s debut international showcase, The Archive of Hidden Things. However, behind the scenes, chaos reigned: “The hats were initially a disaster,” Bajaj confided to City Times after the show. “I spent two nights sewing tulle on them to hide imperfections. That turned them into stunning couture pieces. Now, everyone asks, ‘Where can I get the hats?’”
This anecdote reflects the nature of the Mumbai-based designer, who is expressive, detail-focused, and adept at transforming challenges into art.
Kresha Bajaj
Her Dubai Fashion Week collection, unveiled on September 1, represented months of effort and marked a significant milestone: her first international showcase. For Bajaj, renowned for her Indian bridal couture Love Story Lehengas — featuring embroidered personal memories — this debut was both a strategic business move and an instinctual step. “It felt like the right time,” she explains. “With many international clients and Dubai feeling like home, it was the perfect debut location.”
Preserving the craft
The Archive of Hidden Things unfolded like a novel in three parts. Revelation featured soft silhouettes and delicate layers of sheer fabrics, blush pinks, and pearl details close to the skin.
Obsession introduced structure and tension: corsetry, dramatic trousers, and jackets with exaggerated shoulders in moodier tones. Kresha describes this as emotion wrapped in armor.
Finally, Liberation celebrated confidence with high slits, open backs, and flowing fabrics.
“For me, the hidden aspect of the collection was expression,” Bajaj says. “It included influences from different eras, nods to Victorian corsetry, hidden motives, and details beneath layers — elements not visible to everyone, but experienced by the wearer.”
Despite the global stage, Bajaj remains committed to her philosophy of expressive, narrative-driven creations and “slow fashion”.
Her pieces are handcrafted by multi-generational artisans, destined to become heirlooms, she explains. “Luxury is about care and intention, something passed on through generations.”
However, preserving this craft is challenging. “Sadly, many younger generations are reluctant to continue,” Bajaj admits. “But global appreciation creates demand, hopefully keeping the craft alive.”
Bajaj is increasingly blending couture with ready-to-wear. “My core has always been ready-to-wear with a heart of couture,” she says. “It’s about merging bridal with wearable pieces, creating a new category — occasion wear.”
Bajaj appeared at the end of her showcase
This narrative-driven approach is her hallmark. “Everything we do tells a story,” she says.
From sharing her love story through bridal embroidery to telling multiple stories, “it all originates from something personal.”
Friendship, food, and the future
Adding to the evening’s specialness was actor Samantha Prabhu, Bajaj’s best friend, who cheered from the front row. “It wouldn’t have been the same without her,” Bajaj says. “She’s the most supportive friend and human.”
If not in couture, Bajaj would have pursued interior design or culinary arts. “I’m a big foodie,” she reveals, “and I love cooking Thai food.” In Dubai, her favorite places include Time Out Market and a nostalgic Sindhi restaurant her father used to take her to as a child.
Looking ahead, the designer keeps the momentum going. A new flagship store in Delhi opens this month, with more global showcases hinted at by year’s end. For now, she savors the magic of Dubai.
Describing the experience in one word, she chooses “fulfilling.”
