Lovebirds made its London Fashion Week debut for Spring/Summer 2027 with a collection that looked at India through memory rather than spectacle.
Titled “India: IYKYK,” the collection by Gursi Singh and Amrita Khanna drew from the visual details many Indians grow up seeing without necessarily thinking of them as design references. That is what gave the show its personality.
This was not about obvious heritage dressing. It was about the smaller things that sit quietly in collective memory.
Everyday India Becomes the Inspiration
The reference points ranged from hand-painted street signs, matchboxes and familiar product packaging to school posters featuring “Adarsh Balak”, the idealised good child image many Indians will immediately recognise.
Chintz was another important influence.
Rather than using the historic floral textile language literally, Lovebirds reworked it through disrupted prints, layered motifs and softer hand-treated surfaces. The result felt familiar without becoming nostalgic.
These references appeared across relaxed jackets, trousers, shorts, sheer tops, fluid skirts and longer dresses, while graphic checks and handmade linen brought a cleaner rhythm to the collection.
Silhouettes Stay Relaxed and Precise
The clothes remained unmistakably Lovebirds.
Tailoring was easy rather than rigid, dresses moved softly, and volume was controlled through proportion instead of excess. Exaggerated pockets and considered layering added structure, but the collection never became overly decorative.
That restraint allowed the cultural references to sit naturally inside the clothes rather than turning them into costume.
The Hawaii Chappal Gets a Runway Upgrade
The footwear delivered one of the show’s smartest moments.
Female models wore heeled white chappals with blue straps, inspired by the classic Paragon Hawaii chappalsgenerations of Indians have grown up with. Male models wore the familiar flat version.
It was funny, recognisable and completely effective.
By changing the proportion but keeping the identity intact, Lovebirds turned one of India’s most ordinary everyday objects into a fashion detail without stripping away its familiarity.
Even the Black Thread Had a Story
Models also wore a black thread tied around the ankle, referencing the widely familiar Indian practice of wearing black thread for protection from nazar, or the evil eye.
It was a tiny detail, but perhaps one of the most successful.
Because that is really what this collection was about: the things you do not need explained if you know them.
A Strong London Debut
What made “India: IYKYK” work was the confidence not to overstate its references.
Street signs, matchboxes, school posters, chintz, Hawaii chappals and a black thread around the ankle were all transformed into one coherent design language.
Lovebirds took these very ordinary Indian details, refined them through print, silhouette and styling, and presented them on a global runway without making them feel less personal.
That is what gave the collection its strength.
