Chennai: Acclaimed Hyderabad-based fashion designer Anand Kabra returns to the conscious fashion Chennai space, Collage, with a new collection, Taramati II, on 25th and 26th September 2026. The occasion marks a long-standing relationship between Collage, which has continued to present a gamut of new collections and old designers to the city.
Founded by Lata Madhu, Collage is a multi-designer store in Chennai that has built its identity around a considered approach to fashion and an emphasis on clothes that become part of an everyday wardrobe. The store currently represents more than 40 designer labels alongside a selection of handpicked jewellery.
The 4000 sq ft heritage Art Deco house of Collage today retains the old teak doors, exposed bricks, mild steel and concrete, and pink-beige-maroon-olive mosaic floors, blending in elements of global design within an old living structure. The presentation of Taramati II by Anand Kabra marks another chapter in that relationship, bringing a new body of work into a space that has made time and craft central to the way it presents fashion.
Taramati was a singer and dancer associated with the 17th-century Qutb Shahi court of Golconda. Her story provides the starting point for Kabra’s exploration of longing, distance and the search for belonging in the new collection. The collection takes further cues from Taramati Baradari, the 17th-century pavilion in Hyderabad, and the wider visual culture of the Deccan. Traditional Hyderabadi dress and craftsmanship are reinterpreted through Kabra’s contemporary design language.
“Anand has been part of the Collage story for fifteen years, and it has been wonderful to see his work evolve over that time. Our association has always been about giving our clients access to a distinctive design voice and watching that voice develop with each collection. With Taramati II, we are especially excited to bring this new chapter to Collage. The collection has such a strong sense of Hyderabad and its history, and we look forward to sharing it with our audience in Chennai”, says Lata Madhu, Founder, Collage.
Traditional Hyderabadi silhouettes, including the khada dupatta, farshi pajama, peshwa and gharara inform the collection. Elements of men’s ceremonial dress are reinterpreted in womenswear, while Dakhani embroidery draws from the arches and windows of the Baradari. The chand, or moon, appears as a recurring motif.
The colour palette moves through motiya (pearls), kumkum (vermilion), kachchi mehndi (fresh henna), haldi (turmeric), kathai (brown) and surma (kohl), reflecting the visual and emotional language of the collection.
The September showcase marks fifteen years of Anand Kabra’s association with Collage. Over two decades, the Chennai boutique has presented his work to its audience and remained part of his journey as a designer. Taramati II brings that relationship into the present with a collection that draws on Indian dress, craft and the visual culture of the Deccan.