Anaita Shroff Adajania discusses curating Oscar de la Renta’s first Mumbai trunk show with The Living Room Story, selecting pieces suited to Indian women, celebrations and evening dressing. She explains how the intimate, curated format encourages personal discovery over conventional retail previews, and shares her vision for bringing more international fashion houses to India while continuing to champion Indian designers.
The Living Room Story, the Mumbai series of pop-ups and trunk shows, is hosting Oscar de la Renta in the city for the first time, with an exclusive trunk show from October 22 to 24, 2026. Founded in 2019 by Ashmi Bhansali and Sanaa Choksi, it began in the living room of the founders' own home before moving, in 2020, to Peace Haven, the blue bungalow in Bandra that has since become synonymous with its events. The series has since added venues including Snowball Studios, Kathiwada City House and Soho House, and has worked with Hanut Singh, Flame Store Goa and Paradise Road, Sri Lanka.
Oscar de la Renta, the New York house founded in 1965 by the Dominican-born designer of the same name, is best known for its evening wear and bridal gowns. For the Mumbai edition, the edit has been curated by stylist and creative director Anaita Shroff Adajania, former Fashion Director of Vogue India and founder of Style Cell, whose clients include Isha Ambani, Deepika Padukone and Kim Kardashian. Robb Report India spoke with Adajania about how the collaboration came together, how she edited the house for Mumbai's wardrobe and occasions, and whether this is the start of more international houses arriving through The Living Room Story.
Robb Report India (RR): How did the collaboration with The Living Room Story and Oscar de la Renta come together, and what made this the right moment for the brand's first Mumbai trunk show?
Anaita Shroff Adajania (ASA): The Living Room Story has always been about bringing together a very considered edit of fashion, and Oscar de la Renta felt like a natural extension of that vision. There is such a beautiful balance in the house between timeless elegance and a sense of occasion, which I think resonates incredibly well with the Indian woman.
Mumbai felt like the right city and the right moment because there is a growing appetite here for discovering global luxury houses in a more intimate, curated setting. Rather than simply presenting a collection, we wanted to create an experience around the brand and allow women to really engage with the pieces.
RR: Walk us through your curation process. Out of Oscar de la Renta's full range, how did you decide what would resonate with Mumbai's wardrobe and occasions?
ASA: For me, curation always starts with the woman rather than the garment. I think about where she would wear something, how she would style it, and whether it has that sense of ease while still feeling special.
With Oscar de la Renta, there was an incredible range to work with, so we looked for pieces that felt particularly relevant to Mumbai: beautiful dresses for celebrations, statement pieces for evenings, sophisticated separates, and silhouettes that could move seamlessly between intimate gatherings and larger occasions. The idea was never to bring everything, but to bring the pieces that would make someone stop and say, I can see myself wearing this.
RR: You've spent your career blending Indian sensibility with Western fashion. How did that instinct shape which silhouettes, colours or pieces you pulled for this edit?
ASA: Indian women have a very instinctive relationship with colour, embellishment, occasion dressing and femininity, and that naturally influences the way I look at Western fashion. I was drawn to silhouettes that have movement and presence, colours that feel celebratory, and pieces with beautiful detailing.
At the same time, I wanted there to be enough sophistication and versatility for the woman who doesn't necessarily want to look traditionally dressed. For me, the most exciting fashion happens when those two worlds meet effortlessly.
RR: Given your styling work with Isha Ambani, Deepika Padukone and Kim Kardashian, is there a particular kind of client or occasion you had in mind while curating this collection?
ASA: I don't think I had one particular woman in mind. My work has allowed me to dress women with incredibly different personalities and aesthetics, and that has taught me that the most interesting wardrobe is one that reflects the individual.
With this edit, I was thinking about the modern woman who has somewhere to go, whether that's a wedding celebration, a cocktail evening, a formal dinner, a special event or simply a moment where she wants to dress beautifully for herself. Oscar has pieces that can speak to all of those women in very different ways.
RR: What sets a Living Room Story trunk show apart from a typical retail preview, from a stylist's point of view, and how does the format change what you choose to bring in?
ASA: The intimacy is what makes it special. A trunk show allows you to have a much more personal conversation with the woman you're dressing. The Living Room Story has always had that sense of discovery and curation.
It's not about overwhelming you with an entire collection; it's about creating an environment where you can discover pieces, understand the story behind them and imagine how they fit into your own wardrobe. That definitely influences the edit. Every piece has to earn its place.
RR: Are there specific pieces from this Oscar de la Renta edit you're personally most excited about, and why?
ASA: I'm always drawn to the pieces that have a strong point of view but don't feel like they're trying too hard. There are some beautiful silhouettes in this edit that have that quality: they feel incredibly polished, but still feminine and effortless.
I also love the pieces with sculptural detailing and Oscar de la Renta's signature palette. The house has such a wonderful understanding of occasion dressing, and those are the pieces that I find particularly exciting because they instantly create a feeling.
RR: Beyond October, does this open the door to more international luxury houses making their India debut through The Living Room Story?
ASA: Absolutely. I think India is at a very interesting point in its relationship with global fashion. There is a sophisticated consumer here who is incredibly well-informed and wants access to the world's best fashion, while also wanting it to feel relevant to her. The Living Room Story is uniquely positioned to bridge that gap through curation and community.
Our vision has always been to bring together exceptional fashion while also creating a platform that celebrates Indian talent. From introducing international luxury houses to hosting unique pop-ups with Indian designers and celebrated names such as world-renowned jeweller Hanut Singh, we want to create meaningful opportunities for discovery across both Indian and international fashion. So yes, I would love for this to be the beginning of more conversations with international houses, alongside continued opportunities to showcase exceptional Indian talent and bring the best of fashion closer to the Indian customer.