Indian designer Anamika Khanna’s label, AK|OK, made its highly anticipated debut at London Fashion Week, presenting a collection that reimagined Indian artistry. The show took place at Hamleys, the world’s most iconic toy store, an inspired setting that embodied the collection’s exploration of nostalgia and memory. AK|OK had held eight celebrated shows in India over the past four years, and the move to London marked a pivotal moment in the brand’s international journey.
“London was a very natural choice for us because it is so open and accepting of different cultures and experimentations,” Khanna said. “Our brand bridges the gap between how dressing in India has always been perceived and the reality, that it is very modern.”
The runway unfolded as more than a presentation, but a story. Her Indian roots journeyed back to her grandmother’s home in Rajasthan after many years. There, she rediscovered her heritage through a time capsule filled with hand-embroidered skirts, woven shawls, and relics of childhood. Each garment became a fragment of memory, reawakened. The choice of Hamleys as the venue was deliberate and poetic. Just as the girl stepped back into her childhood, Hamleys invited every visitor to relive their own. 
“There was this feeling of nostalgia in the collection,” Khanna explained. “This girl went back to her grandmother’s home after many years, and it evoked these childhood memories. The same feeling came when you entered Hamleys; everyone was transported back. It felt like the right emotional connection.” Bold, graphic prints inspired by Indian mythology and astrology added an almost childlike sense of wonder, their hand-made quality infusing the collection with authentic spirit.
Chikankari embroidery, long revered as delicate and formal, appeared on a striking coat thrown effortlessly over slouchy trousers; an invitation to reimagine traditional craft for everyday wear. Silver elements, referencing Indian jewellery, were stripped of ceremony and reworked with jeans, skirts, and boots. The collection challenged the assumption that Indian fashion is “too ethnic” or “too formal,” offering silhouettes that flowed with ease, revealing fresh ways to wear coats, tops, and jewellery in a modern context.
“For so many years, eastern culture has been perceived as costume, not wearable in everyday life,” Khanna said. “But whenever I use jewellery, people want to wear it with jeans. It’s about looking at these elements in a modern way, whether they belong today.” Beyond fashion, the collection posed a question about pace and value. In a world consumed by speed and digitisation, AK|OK offered a pause, a chance to reconnect with the handmade and the meaningful.
“I just wanted to bring back the feeling of being present for one minute,” Khanna reflected. “To emotionally not be in a rush, and to value things that may disappear as we digitise everything. The beauty of what we have always had is unmatched, and I want it to remain.”
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