Their “Edwardian Punk”, which was showcased at the newly opened The Living Room in Hauz Khas, turned out to be a homage to all things saucy. From subtly slashed dresses to ripped edges of the sari and WH Auden’s sonnets on men’s shirts, the autumn-winter collection to be unfurled at the upcoming DFW features razor-sharp silhouettes with a dose of youthful, punk-influenced aggression. The duo sent models in black silk saris paired with corseted blouses. Juicing up the look was the gorgeously ripped white lace peeking out from the wool-layered petticoat. Meanwhile, another model strutted in a whisky-gold dress, with a jacket draped nonchalantly across the arms.

While their brand of girlish punk borders on not-so-gay colours such as gray, ivory and charcoal, the menswear features slim-fit shirts and tapered, high-waist, drainpipe trousers complemented by sharply cut jackets.

“The Edwardian era, the early 20th century, revived the gay society culture just before the breakout of World War I. Women, crawling out of the stifling Victorian period experimented with tattoos and even body-piercing. Keeping in with the spirit, we have lots of garments accessorised with silver jewellery and hand-painted lace patterns,” says Rathore, 30.

Unlike last season when the models walked backwards, this time the duo would send them to the tunes of live, wicked music emanating from a broken piano and a keyboard. They are also tweaking the idea of an interactive show with the audience. “We want the audience to become part of it,” says Rathore. The autumn-winter collection was showcased at London Fashion Week’s ON/OFF Fair in February.