LONDON — Anamika Khanna, one of India‘s most celebrated fashion designers, is set to bring her contemporary fashion offering AK|OK Anamika Khanna to London for a debut runway show at Hamleys toy store on Regent Street on Monday.
The label was set up in 2021 as a 60:40 joint venture between Reliance Brands, India’s largest retailer in the luxury-to-premium sector, and Khanna. The deal was led by Isha Ambani, daughter of Mukesh Ambani, founder of Reliance Brands’ parent company Reliance Industries.
The brand offers a modern wardrobe with a touch of Indian savoir-faire, with prices ranging from $200 for a matching cotton shirt and trouser set to $1,000 for a lace shift dress.
Khanna said AK|OK represents a carefree way of living, and has a universal appeal that transcends the geographical boundaries of India.
“The brand started just after COVID-19. The world was looking for fashion, not taken too seriously. AK|OK offers something that goes from day to night without thinking too hard, something that could be versatile enough that you could do your own thing with it,” said the designer, who entered the fashion business 27 years ago with little professional training.
The label now operates three stores across Mumbai, New Delhi and Hyderabad, and is available on its website and at 15 multibrand retailers in India. The brand is also stocked at Saks Fifth Avenue and is in talks to enter several more U.K.-based retailers.
Khanna was one of the first Indian designers to show during Paris Fashion Week in 2007, and her now-defunct diffusion label Ana-Mika, which catered to a Western audience, had more than 100 stockists globally at its peak.
As to why she chose Hamleys as the show venue, the designer said the toy retailer evokes a sense of nostalgia. “I have fond memories of Hamleys. I was there 20 years ago, and I still have a toy from there.”
She said Hamleys was a perfect fit for the upcoming AK|OK spring 2026 collection. “In a way that you’re bringing back memories into present-day scenarios in various situations, and it just felt like a natural fit,” she said.
The mood board for AK|OK Anamika Khanna’s spring 2026 collection
While AK|OK is not as craft-intensive as Khanna’s main line, which offers modern silhouettes and luxurious iterations of Indian traditonal attire, the contemporary label has been able to use India’s traditional techniques and supply chain to offer crafted pieces at a relatively competitive price point.
Khanna said she hopes the London show can be another example of how India can be a part of mainstream fashion narratives. Her sold-out collaboration with H&M last year already showed that there is a global interest in modern fashion designed and manufactured in India.
To drive awareness in the West and at home, it’s understood that some of the biggest names in Bollywood are expected to attend the show.
“Because of my exposure internationally, I realized that Indian fashion, from the very beginning, was being treated as not mainstream. People looked at Indian fashion as a costume. So I look at India with everything that we have: textiles, crafts, heritage, and the people in today’s context. To change things around so that it becomes relevant. Somebody in Europe can walk out on the street with it,” added the designer.
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