ROSEROOM by Isha Jajodia presented their fourth consecutive collection Softly, Strong, on Day 4 of Hyundai India Couture Week 2026 in association with Nexxus New York and the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI). The appliqué-set runway saw the House's signature use of chantilly, corded, and guipure laces layered against one another, three-dimensional flowers, Swarovski crystals, pearls, and introduced clay to their sartorial language.
Through more than fifty couture looks, ROSEROOM's collection this season featured corseted gowns, skirts, saris, tailored jackets, tuxedos, and tulle skirts. The colour scheme progressed from lighter shades of ivory and blush towards emerald, teal, ruby, scarlet, gold, and black. The show was headlined by model Avanti Nagrath, wearing a black fringed lace dress paired with emerald earrings from Jewellery Partner, Hazoorilal Legacy.
"This collection is about the woman who wears it," says Jajodia, "She has lived enough to know that softness is never weakness, that grace can be powerful, and that vulnerability and resilience can exist in the same breath." Post-show, Robb Report India sat down with the designer to break down the collection, uncover her design philosophy, and reveal ROSEROOM's commitment to celebrating the softness and strength of womanhood.
Isha Jajodia (IJ): I've always believed that a woman doesn't have to choose between being soft and being strong. The two can exist together, and that's exactly what I wanted the garments to express. When you first look at them, you notice the lace, the fluidity, and the femininity. But beneath that is precise corsetry and construction that gives every silhouette its strength. In many ways, they reflect the woman I design for. She may appear gentle, but she's incredibly strong, resilient and self-assured.
IJ: I've always admired the elegance of European romanticism, the structure of French architecture, and the timelessness of vintage femininity. But I never wanted to recreate those references. I wanted to reinterpret them through the lens of Indian craftsmanship. That's where ROSEROOM finds its identity.
We paired lace with traditional Chikankari, introduced tweed alongside delicate lace, and combined Western silhouettes with Indian techniques that have been perfected over generations. There is an extraordinary depth to Indian craftsmanship, and I felt it deserved to be presented in a more contemporary, global context. I also felt there was space in the market for couture that felt internationally relevant in its design language while remaining deeply rooted in Indian artisanal excellence. For me, that's where the collection feels most authentic.
IJ: I wanted the colours to feel like an emotional journey. The collection begins with ivories and blushes, which evoke a sense of softness, innocence, and femininity. As it progresses, the palette deepens into emerald, teal, scarlet, and gold, reflecting a woman who has evolved through experience. She hasn't lost her softness along the way; she's simply become more assured, more self-aware, and more comfortable in her own identity. To me, that's what Softly, Strong is about. It's not a transformation into someone different, but the confidence that comes from embracing every part of who you are.
IJ: Introducing clay into the collection was less about adding a new material and more about expanding the language of the House. Lace has always been our signature, so it was important that the clay didn't compete with it but complemented it. We approached it almost like a conversation between the two materials, refining the sculpted florals until they became one with the lace rather than something applied onto it. The result was something sculptural yet wearable, which was always the intention.
IJ: When I first started, I was captivated by the beauty of lace. I saw it as something delicate and romantic. Over the years, my understanding of the material has evolved completely. Today, I don't see lace as an embellishment; I see it as a medium for construction. We build with it, shape it, layer it, and challenge its possibilities in ways we never did before.
Every season has allowed us to refine our techniques, but Softly, Strong feels particularly significant because it brings together everything the atelier has explored over the years. Looking back, I don't think we've changed who we are as a House. We've simply become more confident in expressing our identity through craftsmanship and construction.
IJ: For me, the women behind the collection are just as important as the women who wear it. Many of our artisans work from their own towns and communities, allowing them to continue practising their craft while remaining close to their families. This season, that philosophy naturally extended through our collaboration with Spread the Smile, where women artisans handcrafted many of the three-dimensional floral motifs from their homes before they became part of the collection.
I find that incredibly meaningful because every garment carries not just craftsmanship, but the time, care, and stories of the women who created it. That's the culture we've built at ROSEROOM. Couture is never the work of one person; it's the result of many skilled hands coming together with a shared sense of purpose.