Presented on the last day of Paris Fashion Week like a moment after the storm, GUNDI’s Spring Summer 2026 collection unfolds as a textile poem of resistance and rebirth.
Drawing from the story of Draupadi, the defiant queen of the Mahabharata, the collection channels the moment she was publicly disrobed and divinely saved, her endlessly extending saree transforming shame into transcendence. In GUNDI’s hands, this myth becomes a meditation on consent, fury, and feminine renewal, told through intricate craftsmanship and narrative design. GUNDI’s silhouettes explore the tension between drape and discipline: the softness of loosely woven cottons contrasts with the precision of tailoring, while eri silk knits bring breathability and lightness. Indigo-dyed Shibori patterns on mulberry silk evoke movement and metamorphosis stitched, unstitched, and unraveled to create living patterns that echo the myth’s cyclical nature. Threads, shells, and woven textures appear throughout, symbols of protection and continuity.
Founded by Natasha Sumant , GUNDI is a label or crossroads for New Delhi, Paris, and New York, known for merging political storytelling with traditional Indian textile practices. Nigam built the brand around the idea of fashion as resistance. The name, Gundi, meaning “female thug” in Hindi, celebrates unapologetic womanhood and the spirit of defiance. Her work consistently collaborates with indigenous women’s craft collectives, ensuring each piece is made “from seed to sew,” with a deep respect for ancestral knowledge and sustainability.
The collection is more than a continuation of Draupadi’s saree, but a visual metaphor for infinite resilience. Through fibre and form, the brand reaffirms its devotion to the women who “weave the world anew each day,” transforming rage into ritual and cloth into quiet revolution. – Anna Barr
GUNDI Spring Summer 2026
Photography: Yoann Guerini, Creative Direction: Natasha Sumant; Styling: Reva Bhatt; PR: RX STUDIO; Production: Thiravisha Thiravirajha & Thiravigah Thiravirajha; Scenography: Lucien Dumas; Design: Pakhi Taneja & Avery Clarke; Makeup: Yulya Zalesskaya; Hair: Gor Duryan
