This year’s London Fashion Week was one of the season’s most interesting shows, which featured many beautiful collections. Amongst the numerous celebrities presenting their work it was difficult to choose the best one as eye-catching designs interchanged in the cacophony of colour and imagination. As the models walked down the runway in a series of beautiful outfits, each new look appeared quietly, building a sense of anticipation in the audience. Suddenly, the mood changed. A model appeared in flowing, sculpted silks that seemed to float but were shaped with careful structure. The look felt both otherworldly and deliberate, showing a perfect balance between dreamlike and precise design. It was one of those rare times in fashion when the art goes beyond the fabric and the design becomes pure feeling. This is how we first got acquainted with Zahwa Akhtar’s collection, Elements of Existence, and her incredible work.
Zahwa Akhtar is a UK-based fashion designer of Indian origin who graduated from Nottingham Trent University. She brings professional experience across fabrics and design and an Indian loyalty to tradition, which, taken together, adds an unearthly quality to her work, inspired by tradition, sustainability, and harmony between the environment and humans.
Our editorial team asked Syed Ziwaquar Ashar, an assistant professor of fashion design, established authority on Indian fashion culture, and a jury member on many industry events, to give us an unbiased and qualified opinion on Zahwa Akhtar’s work.
Her work is “a dialogue between the ethereal and the engineered”, he said and praised its controlled fluidity and disciplined extravagance. Many of her outfits “blur the line between couture fantasy and wearable architecture”. Syed mentioned that Zahwa Akhtar’s “Elements of Existence” is “a poetic but disciplined study of how nature can be translated into wearable form” and that it shows a strong connection between story, craftsmanship, and design purpose. The collection has a unique compositional balance, with each piece of clothing showing its elemental inspiration while still being technically correct and making sense.
The expert notices that the collection’s ideas, namely Earth, Water, and Air, serve as both a design system and a theme. He explains: “construction logic has been used to explain each part.” In this collection, Air is represented by transparency and volume, Earth by grounded textures and structural silhouettes, and Water by fluid layering and motion, so the audience clearly understands material language.
Syed highlights Zahwa’s meticulous control over form and proportion when talking about the technical execution. He notes, “Her use of drape and structure demonstrates a technical maturity uncommon in early-career designers.” “Excellent restraint is used when expressing tactile contrast – density versus lightness – through fabrics like velvet and organza.”
He also highlights Zahwa’s craftsmanship. Each piece exhibits thoughtful construction choice, from the ruched velvet skirts to the hand-beaded bodices. Syed says, “There’s a couture-level respect for surface treatment and finish.” “Beadwork serves a practical purpose, such as capturing light or simulating the flow of water or air, rather than being purely ornamental.”
He commends the designer’s dedication to sustainable practice in terms of innovation and materiality. Sustainability isn’t just a catchphrase; it’s ingrained in her workflow. Both aesthetic and environmental consciousness are demonstrated by the use of robust, naturally sourced materials and the accuracy of pattern cutting.
The expert views “Elements of Existence” as a pivotal point in Zahwa Akhtar’s artistic development. This collection represents a departure from her more structured earlier works in favor of atmospheric design and emotional storytelling. He says, “It’s clear she’s moving from technical exploration to conceptual mastery.” “This type of work, which is deeply sensory, intelligent, and personal, embodies the next wave of sustainable luxury.”
The clothing’s conceptual integrity was upheld throughout the show by the styling and presentation. A smooth sensory conversation between nature and design was produced by the cathedral-inspired setting, soft golden lighting, and orchestral soundtrack. Syed observes that the presentation’s overall design, which included space, sound, motion, and light, was “handled with curatorial awareness rather than mere showmanship.”
The expert finishes his review by calling Zahwa Akhtar’s London Fashion Week debut “a mature and meaningful statement that merges aesthetics with consciousness.” He highlights that the collection strikes a balance between artistic intent and technical rigor, not only meeting but surpassing modern design expectations.
“Elements of Existence” by Zahwa Akhtar is more than just a fashion show; it’s a philosophy that combines craftsmanship, sustainability, and creativity. It represents a step forward for the industry and the designer toward mindful couture, where engineering and emotion go hand in hand.
The cheers came more as recognition that a new voice in fashion had arrived, one that could combine poetry, accuracy, and purpose into a single vision of modern design, as the last model walked the runway in the golden light.
