There is a certain magic to the stories we grow up with. Passed down through generations, they introduce us to fantastical worlds populated by mythical creatures, enchanted forests, larger-than-life characters and lessons that stay with us long after the stories end. With FOLKLORE, presented at Lakmē Fashion Week in partnership with FDCI 2026, FARAK’s Rishab Kumar revisited this world of childhood imagination, translating its familiar wonder into a contemporary design narrative.
Drawing from the mythical creatures, kings and queens, witches and wizards that populated his childhood stories, Kumar approached the subject from a rather unexpected perspective. Instead of recreating these characters or drawing direct references from the tales themselves, he turned his attention to the emotions they evoked in a child’s mind. It was about capturing what goes on in the imagination while listening to a story, the fears, curiosities and interpretations that often exist beyond the words being narrated. A Bandhani co-ord, for instance, drew from the unsettling feeling of encountering something frightening as a child, translated through visual references of wide eyes and pale skin.
This sense of familiarity extended to the materials and techniques used throughout the collection. Working with Kala cotton alongside traditional Dabu and Bagru printing, Kumar gravitated towards processes that felt grounded, tactile and close to home. As he explained, these techniques reminded him of the environment he grew up in. His childhood was spent playing in the mud, often returning home to be scolded for it, and he wanted to bring that very sense of earthiness and familiarity into the collection. In this context, the use of traditional printing techniques became more than an aesthetic choice; it was a way of reconnecting with the textures and experiences that shaped his early years.
The idea of childhood freedom also informed the collection’s approach to silhouettes and textures. Speaking about his exploration of ambiguity, Kumar emphasised that he did not want to impose a set of rules or follow a predetermined design template. Instead, he wanted to allow the child in him the freedom to express, experiment and interpret without limitations. This openness translated into a design language that embraced the uncertain and the unconventional, finding a balance between what we know to be true and what our imagination allows us to believe. After all, folklore often exists in that very space between reality and possibility.
With FOLKLORE, FARAK looked beyond the familiar imagery of childhood tales to explore the feelings, memories and interpretations they leave behind. It was an invitation to look at the world with the uninhibited curiosity of a child, where imagination has no fixed boundaries and even the most ordinary experiences can become extraordinary.
