House of Rohit Bal turns the spotlight on the hands behind the legend through Dastkar
What does dastkar mean? Chances are, most of you already know - but for those who don't, it's Urdu for a craftsman, artisan, or skilled
What does dastkar mean? Chances are, most of you already know - but for those who don't, it's Urdu for a craftsman, artisan, or skilled handworker: someone who makes things with their hands and small tools, not machines. Wondering why the impromptu Urdu lesson? Because that's exactly what the House of Rohit Bal named its latest couture collection, unveiled at Hyundai India Couture Week 2026 on Friday. And true to its name, the collection was a tribute — to the hands, minds, and quiet mastery of the karigars who've shaped the brand into what it is today. Read Full Story Staged at the Taj Palace in New Delhi, Dastkar was like a thank-you note of sorts, one addressed to the embroiderers, weavers, dyers, pattern-makers and karigars who've spent three decades translating Rohit Bal's imagination into garments without ever quite stepping into the light themselves.
This time, the House built the entire collection around them. The clothes did the talking, and what they said was fairly simple: behind every "iconic" fashion moment is someone's hands, and it's about time they got credit. House of Rohit Bal presents Dastkar at India Couture Week 2026. (Photo: Screengrab from FDCI Livestream) There was no single showstopper look, and who really needs one when the collection itself does all the heavy lifting. Sheer black and white shirts, embroidered were a common feature. High, ruffled or pleated stand collars turned up again and again across the show, on men's jackets and women's peplums alike, almost like a signature punctuation mark. Elizabethan cuff-inspired details at the show. (Photo: Author) One black velvet peplum jacket, dotted in white and finished with a lace choker-collar, sat atop a skirt that mixed black-and-white damask swirls — closer to a vintage wallpaper or a Toile de Jouy print than anything typically seen on an Indian couture runway — with a single, defiantly red rose.
Another standout feature was pearl tassels and dimensional lace floral applique — the kind of embellishment that takes weeks of handwork, not a print run, to get right. The velvet black peplum at the Rohit Bal show. (Photo: Author) Fraze Tasnim, creative director at Rohit Bal Couture, said, “Dastkar is our deepest expression of gratitude. It is dedicated to the artisans who have remained an integral part of the Rohit Bal House for over thirty years. Their skill, patience and unwavering commitment have shaped every embroidery, every silhouette and every collection that has emerged from our atelier. You can't miss the details. (Photo: Author) Drawing on French tapestries, vintage wallpapers, and what the House describes as "the rhythmic interplay of lines and dots," the collection ran rich silks, velvets and heritage textiles through hand embroidery and layered texture.
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