Modern Maharani: The Story Behind Autumn Winter 26

After more than 30 years working in fashion, I've learned to trust a certain feeling.

It's not really about trends. It's more of a sensory tingle, an instinct that something is beginning to shift. Often, it starts with what I find myself wanting to wear, the colours I'm suddenly drawn to, the fabrics I want to touch, or the pieces I can't quite find in my own wardrobe.

And because so many of the women who wear Dilli Grey are a lot like me, I've learned that when I feel it, there's a good chance some of you are feeling it too.

That instinct has played a huge part in our new Autumn Winter 26 collection.

I've spoken before about the deep dive I've been taking into Dilli Grey over the last year or so. What I want the brand to be, what we do particularly well, what I want to leave behind and, perhaps most importantly, what working with India means to me in 2026.

Dilli Grey began 11 years ago, and India has changed enormously in that time.

A new India

On my more recent trips, I've found myself incredibly inspired by the confidence and creativity of a younger generation of Indians.

There is this wonderful meeting of worlds happening. Global influences sit alongside an enormous pride in Indian culture, craftsmanship and heritage. Tradition isn't being treated as something that needs to be preserved behind glass. It's being played with, reinterpreted and made relevant to how people want to live and dress now.

I find that incredibly exciting.

And somewhere along the way, it started to influence how I was thinking about Dilli Grey too.

How could we take the extraordinary Indian craftsmanship that has always been at the heart of the brand and look at it through a more contemporary lens?

That thought became Modern Maharani, the story behind Autumn Winter 26.

Indian craft, a modern attitude

This collection is probably one of our most richly detailed yet.

There is beautiful hand embroidery, tiny sequins, beads and metallic threads. Traditional Indian block prints appear in unexpected places. We've played with texture, cotton velvet, soft organic cottons, dobby weaves and beautiful natural fabrics.

Some of the details shout a little louder. Others are almost secret, like a beautiful hand block printed lining hidden inside a jacket.

That's the part I love.

It feels unmistakably Indian, but it isn't about recreating traditional Indian dress.

It's about taking the incredible skills, knowledge and artistry that exist there and creating clothes that feel relevant to the way we want to dress here.

A little bit opulent. A little bit bohemian. Beautifully made. Easy to wear.

A Modern Maharani.

Not all things are created equally

There is more choice than ever now, and Indian-inspired clothing and block printed fashion have become much more visible in the UK.

In many ways, that's wonderful. The craft I fell in love with all those years ago is being discovered and appreciated by a much wider audience.

But it also makes me even more certain about what Dilli Grey needs to stand for.

For me, it isn't enough for something simply to be block printed or embroidered.

I want us to work with brilliant block printers, embroiderers, makers and fabric mills. I want to use the best quality fabrics we can. I want to obsess over the scale of a print, the weight and handle of a cloth, the colour of an embroidery thread, the placement of a tiny sequin and all those details you may not consciously notice but somehow make a piece feel special when you put it on.

Those choices cost more and they take more time.

But they're also the reason I still get so excited when a new collection arrives.

Made in small numbers

We're also continuing to make our collections in carefully considered, limited edition batches.

I've become increasingly certain that I don't want Dilli Grey to be about endless product or endless newness.

I'd rather make fewer beautiful things.

Pieces with personality. Pieces you keep. Pieces that make someone stop you and ask, "Where did you get that?"

And, importantly, pieces that aren't everywhere.

So hopefully you won't arrive at a wedding or a party to discover three other women wearing the same dress.

Unless, of course, you're best friends with me. In which case, all bets are off.

Welcome to Modern Maharani

Over the coming weeks, I'll be sharing more of the individual stories behind Autumn Winter 26.

There are rich jewel-like colours, beautiful blouses, embroidery, print, texture and some very special pieces that have pushed us into new territory.

But running through all of it is the same idea.

A love of India without being stuck in the past.

A respect for extraordinary craft without treating it as precious.

A belief that beautiful clothes can still feel joyful, individual and incredibly easy to wear.

Modern Maharani is our love letter to the India I see today, interpreted through Dilli Grey and made for the women who have come on this journey with me.

I can't wait to show you more.