INDIAN fashion is moving beyond the traditional saree-and-wedding formula, with younger designers increasingly turning to contemporary cuts, relaxed styling and pieces that can be worn well beyond festive occasions.
That shift is what Sherina Mahtani-Binwani hopes to bring into focus when her fashion platform LuxuriAsia returns to Kuala Lumpur later this month.
The two-day LuxuriAsia Diwali Edit 2026 will take place at The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur on Sept 29 and 30, bringing together a selection of Indian fashion, jewellery, accessories and footwear brands.
For Sherina, the idea for LuxuriAsia came from her own experience of shopping while travelling.
Born and raised in Jakarta and now based in Kuala Lumpur, she often found herself returning from trips with pieces that stood out from what was available locally.
Friends would ask where she had found them.
Over time, she began to see a wider demand among Malaysian women for clothes that felt more personal and less predictable.
That led her to establish LuxuriAsia in 2024.
“The styling is also much more relaxed and individual. Women today don’t necessarily want to look like everyone else in the room. That is the wave we want LuxuriAsia to represent,” she said.
A different way of wearing Indian fashion
The change is visible in the clothes themselves.
Alongside traditional dressing, designers are working with cleaner silhouettes, contemporary embroidery, jackets, co-ords, capes and modern interpretations of the saree.
The emphasis is increasingly on versatility.
“A jacket might return for a dinner. A co-ord set could work for a cocktail party. A contemporary saree can move between cultures and occasions. Indian fashion has changed dramatically,” Sherina said.
It is a departure from the idea that Indian occasion wear has to be saved for a wedding, Deepavali or another major celebration.
And with Deepavali and the year-end wedding season approaching, that broader approach to Indian fashion is likely to appeal to shoppers looking for something outside the familiar festive wardrobe.
Keeping the selection tight
Sherina is also conscious of not turning LuxuriAsia into a conventional shopping fair.
Rather than bringing in a large number of brands selling similar products, she said she prefers to keep the selection small enough for each label to stand out.
“I don’t want twenty vendors selling versions of the same thing. Each brand should bring its own personality,” she said.
This year’s participants include Indian designers Archana Kochhar, Vikram Phadnis and Meeta Mulchandani, as well as jewellery label Mystique Jewels. Other fashion and lifestyle brands from India, Indonesia and Malaysia will also take part.
For Sherina, the attraction of an event like this is partly the chance to see the clothes in person.
“It should feel more like discovering fashion while travelling than simply walking through a normal exhibition,” she said.
Being able to feel the fabrics, look at the workmanship and try pieces on offers something that online shopping cannot quite provide.
Building something beyond a shopping event
LuxuriAsia remains rooted in Sherina’s original habit of discovering independent labels while travelling, but she sees room for it to develop further.
The longer-term plan is to bring in more designers from different markets and explore collaborations, while retaining the selective approach that shaped the platform from the beginning.
Ultimately, she said, she would rather LuxuriAsia be remembered for the discoveries it offers than for its size.
“If people remember LuxuriAsia as the place where they discovered an amazing designer before everyone else did, found a piece they absolutely loved, or simply spent a lovely afternoon enjoying fashion with friends, then I think we have achieved what we set out to do.”
The LuxuriAsia Diwali Edit 2026 will be held on Sept 29 and 30 from 11 am to 7 pm at The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur. More information is available on Instagram at @luxuriasia. - September 8, 2026
