Kartik Research presented their sophomore collection on the official Paris Fashion Week calendar. While it was a big feat last season to be the first Indian designer on the men’s schedule, in the press notes, Kartik did shy away from sharing the confusion and frustration of the US administration’s decision to impose a fifty percent tariff on India.

“We have the relative privilege of being a brand. We can follow the money, shift focus, and try to sell more in Asia to cushion a slowdown in the US. But these are fabric vendors, embroiderers, loom artists, dyers. Their access is narrow, their margins thinner. For some of them, we are the biggest client. The second biggest, sometimes, is that strange Indian store you stumble upon in a town like Philly, (One where you find yourself wondering which white woman set this up here, and why?). But those stores matter. They keep workshops alive. And almost overnight, that market collapsed.

Sitting with this reality has crystallized something for me. We need to build something back home with its own gravity. Something not permanently tethered to Western demand cycles, policy swings, or distant administrations.

Something that pulls people in rather than constantly reaching out. This line of thinking coincided, almost eerily, with my research into a brand called Raag.” – Kartik

For Fall/Winter 2026, Kartik Research continues to give fabric depth and character with modest charm, where intricate embroidery and beading pushing on couture could just as easily be worn everyday or special occasions where looks centered on richly textured outerwear, including hand embroidered crash kantha and palampore patchwork overcoats, alongside block printed blazers and flight jackets. Indigo dyed patchwork and pleated trousers grounded the collection, while shirts and jackets were elevated with paisley embroidery and subtle silver chintz detailing.

Check it out below:

 

CREDITS
CREATIVE DIRECTION by Kartik Kumra
STYLING by Julie Ragolia
HAIR by Matt Mulhall
MAKEUP by Hind Sousan
RUGS by Jaipur Rugs
CASTING by Ben Grimes
RUNWAY IMAGERY by Remi Procurer
PRODUCTION by Experiential H
DRESS SHOES  by Manolo Blahnik
SOCKS by Bresciani
SNEAKER COLLABORATION with Converse
MUSIC by Lapgan