Archana Jaju’s Spring Summer ’26 collection “A Summer Somewhere” unfolds as a quiet exploration of landscape, memory, and craft – where the softness of a European summer meets the depth of Indian craft traditions.
There is a sense of ease that runs through the collection, one that feels both considered and instinctive. Materiality, colour, and form come together with a lightness that allows each element to breathe.
Rather than making a bold statement, the collection invites a closer look – unfolding gradually through its details, textures, and underlying narrative. In conversation with the designer, we explore the story behind the collection.
FL: This collection brings together European landscapes and Indian Kalamkari. What drew you to this cross-cultural dialogue?
AJ: Over the last 30 years, I’ve attempted, with every collection, to make Kalamkari relevant to the contemporary moment. Indians are travelling across the world and mixing their most rooted traditions with global aspirations. A Summer Somewhere takes a page out of this cross-cultural dialogue and gives it sartorial form.
FL: There’s a strong sense of ease in the silhouettes. How did you balance intricate craftsmanship with wearability?
AJ: One of the reasons I love Indian textile culture so much is that it was built for us – for the diversity in the Indian climate, celebrations and individual expression. At the Archana Jaju label, and particularly with A Summer Somewhere, it is easy to marry ease and intricate craftsmanship together because it has always been the foundation of true Indian textile craft. The silhouettes are chosen for ease; the handwoven soft silk is chosen for its flowy, lightweight fabric suited to our spring-summer; and Kalamkari, a craft born in the Andhra/Telangana region, has always kept wearability in this weather at its heart.
“For me, the fun of designing is deciding which elements pair best with Kalamkari, especially the bright florals and layered embroideries that bring this collection to life.”
FL: At its core, the collection explores contrast and continuity. What does this idea mean to you as a designer today?
AJ: For me, this collection has always been about ease in this extremely fast-paced world. That’s the contrast I explored this season. The luxury of stopping to smell the flowers or observing the glimmer of the ocean while life moves at its clipped pace. As a designer in 2026, but really just a woman with a family and friends who fill my life, this collection is a tangible reminder that there’s beauty in repetition – flowers that bloom every season, waves that crash at a set pace, crafts that follow the same processes a millennium later, and the joy of sharing a meal, a conversation, or a stroll down a boulevard. Those are the pieces I wanted to bundle into this collection and hold tight through time.