She's just showed her new collection at Dubai Fashion Week and the accolades are pouring in for Krésha Bajaj. In her third outing at the prestigious show, the designer has woven the magic of light and colour with her intricate craftsmanship. Movement is key in 'The Garden of Borrowed Light', Spring/Summer 2027. In it she reimagines animal prints through thousands of hand-placed beads, transforming familiar motifs into tactile works of art. Not just that; pretty pearl tones meet vivid bursts of pink, yellow and lavender, going into playful sculptural silhouettes, cascading fringes and intricate embellishments, all making for poetry in motion.
Krésha chats with us about the beauty in fluidity, why she thinks brides should experiment a little more and the international designer she'd love to work with.
This was your third showcase at Dubai Fashion Week. What did it feel like to return to the runway this year, and was the excitement different from your first showcase?
Krésha Bajaj (KB): I think the excitement never really changes, but your relationship with the runway does. The first time, there’s so much anticipation because everything is new. By the third show, you understand the process a little better, but you also become more ambitious about what you want to achieve.
Every collection is a completely different journey, and I think that’s what keeps it exciting for me. There’s still that same nervous energy before the show, that same anticipation of seeing months of work come together in those few minutes.
Take us back to the moments just before the show began. What was going through your mind as you watched The Garden of Borrowed Light come to life on the runway?
(KB): The moments before a show are always absolute chaos! There are a hundred things happening simultaneously, and you’re so focused on getting every little detail right that you almost forget what’s about to happen.
For me, the most special moment is always seeing the first look walk out. You’ve spent months looking at these garments on mannequins, in fittings, under studio lights, and suddenly they’re moving, catching the light, and becoming something completely different.
I think that’s when a collection really comes alive.
The Garden of Borrowed Light is a poetic title for a collection that explores light, colour and movement. What was the starting point for this story, and how did the idea of a garden translate into the collection?
(KB): The starting point was really this idea that nothing is ever completely static. The way we see something changes depending on the light, the movement, and even our perspective.
I wanted to explore that through clothing. How colour changes as a garment moves, how embellishment catches and reflects light, and how something that appears quite simple from a distance can reveal incredible complexity up close.
The garden became more of an abstract idea rather than a literal inspiration. It was about colour, fluidity, unexpected combinations and this sense of things constantly changing and evolving.
This season feels more playful and vibrant. What made you move from soft ivory and pearl tones to vivid yellow, pink, blue and lavender?
(KB): I’ve always loved colour, but I think this collection was an opportunity to really experiment with it. The collection actually begins very softly, with beautiful ivories and pearls, and gradually introduces butter yellows, powder pinks, blues and lavenders before moving into much stronger black-and-white pieces.
I liked the idea of the collection evolving as you watched it, rather than presenting all the colours at once. There’s also something really beautiful about combining traditionally delicate pastel shades with unexpected elements like animal prints. That contrast was something I wanted to explore.
Some pieces are constructed entirely from bead and thread. What are the creative and technical challenges of building a garment through embellishment rather than conventional fabric construction?
(KB): I think this is one of the most interesting parts of what we do. When you’re creating a garment entirely from beads and thread, you’re essentially creating your own fabric. You’re not just embellishing an existing surface; you’re building the surface itself. It becomes a completely different exercise because you have to think about weight, flexibility, structure, transparency and how the garment will move on the body.
Something can look incredibly beautiful when it’s laid flat, but the real challenge is making sure it behaves just as beautifully when someone wears it. There’s a lot of experimentation, sampling and technical problem-solving involved. But I love that process because it allows us to create textures and surfaces that simply wouldn’t exist otherwise.
Animal prints take centre stage this season, reimagined through thousands of individually hand-placed beads. What does it take to translate a traditionally printed motif into such an intricate, three-dimensional surface?
(KB): Animal prints were probably one of my favourite things to work on this season. I wanted to take something we’re so accustomed to seeing as a flat print and reinterpret it entirely through hand embellishment.
Every stripe, every spot, every variation in the pattern has been created using beads. And because beads have their own dimension and reflect light differently, the result is completely different from a conventional print.
One of the details I’m particularly excited about is that we’ve even created our signature tassels to mimic the animal prints. So, the pattern doesn’t just exist on the garment; it continues into the movement of the tassels themselves. It gives the entire piece this beautiful three-dimensional quality.
How do you approach the shading and tonal variations that bring the zebra and leopard patterns to life?
(KB): It’s almost like painting, except your medium is beads. We work with different shades, sizes, finishes and levels of transparency to create depth within the pattern.
What I find fascinating is that two beads that look almost identical in a tray can behave completely differently once they’re embroidered together and exposed to light. There’s a lot of trial and error involved in getting those transitions right. I never want the embroidery to look flat or overly graphic. I want it to have texture and dimension, and for the details to reveal themselves the closer you look.
It also has elaborate fringe and signature beaded tassels. How important or integral is movement to your design?
(KB): Movement has always been an incredibly important part of my design language. I don’t think a garment should only look beautiful when someone is standing still. I’m constantly thinking about what happens when someone walks, turns or dances.
Fringe and tassels are particularly interesting because they almost give the garment a life of its own. And with this collection, where so much of the concept revolves around light and perception, movement became even more important. The way the beads catch the light changes with every step, so you’re never really looking at exactly the same garment twice.
Presented in collaboration with Alok Lodha Jewels, the collection blurs the boundaries between embellishment and adornment. How did this collaboration shape the final presentation?
(KB): I think what made this collaboration so special was how naturally our design sensibilities aligned. I’ve always admired Alok Lodha Jewels’ design language, but more importantly, their commitment to quality and craftsmanship. It’s something I relate to very strongly because, for me, quality is king and product is king. No matter how beautiful an idea is, the execution has to be just as extraordinary.
I think we share that same obsession with detail and an unwillingness to compromise on the final product. So creatively, it was a very natural fit. The jewellery and the clothes complemented each other so beautifully, without either one overpowering the other. It really felt like two design languages coming together that understood each other instinctively.
This marks your third showcase at Dubai Fashion Week. How has your relationship with the platform evolved and how has presenting in Dubai influenced your perspective as a designer?
(KB): Dubai has a really interesting energy because it’s such an international city. You’re presenting to people from so many different cultures, backgrounds and markets, and I think that naturally encourages you to think beyond geographical boundaries.
With every season, I’ve become more comfortable using the platform to explore different sides of my design language. What I appreciate is the opportunity to present collections that aren’t necessarily defined by traditional expectations of what an Indian designer should create.
For me, that’s an important part of the journey.
The modern bride is increasingly willing to experiment beyond traditional bridal codes. What elements from The Garden of Borrowed Light would you encourage brides to explore for their wedding celebrations?
(KB): I would love to see brides experiment with texture, movement and colour. I think there’s so much room within wedding celebrations to wear something unexpected, whether it’s a completely beaded dress, a dramatic fringed silhouette or even an animal print piece.
One of the things I love about this collection is that many of the pieces are incredibly intricate and special, but they don’t necessarily feel like conventional occasion wear. I think that’s something modern brides are increasingly drawn to. They want pieces that feel extraordinary but still reflect their personal style.
What outfit suggestions would you make for a bride who wants the best of both worlds — a traditional look as well as a more experimental look that reflects her own personality?
(KB): I don’t think a bride needs to choose between the two. A wedding has so many different celebrations, and each one is an opportunity to express a different side of your personality. You could wear a beautifully crafted traditional lehenga for the wedding ceremony and then choose something completely unexpected for the reception or after-party.
I personally love the idea of a bride wearing something with incredible movement for an evening celebration, whether that’s a fringed dress, a beaded skirt or a more sculptural silhouette. Ultimately, I think the most beautiful bridal looks are the ones where you can really see the person wearing them.
How do you see the contemporary luxury customer evolving, particularly when it comes to wedding wear and bridal wear?
(KB): I think customers today are much more informed and much more confident about what they like.
There’s a growing appreciation for craftsmanship, but I also think people are becoming more conscious of individuality.
Luxury isn’t necessarily about wearing the heaviest garment or the most elaborate embroidery anymore. It’s about the quality of the work, the thought behind it and how the piece makes you feel.
Especially with bridal wear, I think we’re moving away from the idea that every bride needs to look a certain way. And I think that’s a really positive change.
Indian designers are increasingly commanding attention on global runways in their own right. Is it time this happened?
Absolutely. And I think it’s long overdue. India has an extraordinary history of textiles, craftsmanship and design, but for a long time, the global conversation around Indian fashion has been quite limited.
What excites me now is seeing Indian designers being recognised for their individual creative voices, rather than being placed into one particular category. We have so much more to offer than what the world has traditionally associated with Indian fashion. I think the real progress is when Indian designers are simply part of the global fashion conversation, without constantly needing to be defined by where they come from.
An international designer you would love to collaborate with?
I would absolutely love to collaborate with Dale Chihuly. I’m completely fascinated by his work with blown glass. There’s something so poetic about his sculptures, the colours, the organic formations, the scale of everything. His installations at the Bellagio and the V&A are just spectacular.
I love how something as fragile as glass can be transformed into these incredibly dramatic, larger-than-life forms. There’s such a beautiful balance between delicacy and extravagance in his work, which I find really inspiring.
I have no idea what a collaboration between us would even look like, but I think that’s what makes the thought so exciting. I’d love to explore how his world of glass and sculpture could somehow intersect with mine.
After the excitement of The Garden of Borrowed Light, what are you most looking forward to exploring next?
The Garden of Borrowed Light has literally just debuted! And I think, for once, instead of immediately thinking about what’s next, I’d really like to take a little time to enjoy myself.