Brands
WforWoman debuts Spring Summer 2026 collection at Paris Fashion Week
Aditya Birla brand becomes first Indian wear label to present at Paris runway.
MUMBAI: From kurta to couture runway, Indian ethnic wear has just taken a confident stroll through Paris. WforWoman, the contemporary Indian wear label from Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd., has showcased its Spring Summer 2026 collection at Paris Fashion Week, becoming the first Indian wear brand to present its designs at the global fashion event.
The runway appearance marks a significant step in the brand’s international ambitions. After making its international debut in New York last year, the Paris showcase signals the label’s growing push to position modern Indian ethnic wear within the global fashion conversation.
Speaking on the milestone, Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd chief executive officer of the TCNS Division Anant Daga described the moment as an important recognition for Indian design on the international stage. “For years, we have been redefining how the world perceives Indian ethnic wear by blending tradition with modernity. Seeing our silhouettes presented on the runway in Paris is powerful and deeply meaningful,” he said.
The Paris showcase featured a curated runway presentation that combined festive, occasion and contemporary silhouettes. The collection highlighted how modern Indian fashion balances heritage craftsmanship with everyday wearability while appealing to a global audience.
Rather than presenting ethnic wear as traditional costume or couture, the collection positioned high street Indian fashion confidently alongside international design houses, reflecting a shift in how Indian style is perceived globally.
The Spring Summer 2026 line was structured around four thematic capsules that interpret Indian fashion through a contemporary lens.
Poetic Reverie: Summer Weddings featured soft pastels, flowing fabrics and delicate embellishments designed for warm weather celebrations, evoking the romance and elegance of modern wedding occasions.
Pristine Summer explored clean bicolour palettes and refined silhouettes suited for daytime festivities and summer gatherings, presenting Indian dressing with a minimalist global aesthetic.
Youthful Celebration introduced vibrant prints, lively shapes and playful details such as flowing capes and potlis, bringing a youthful energy to festive wear.
Holiday: The Indian Way reimagined resort dressing through relaxed silhouettes, bold prints and graphic accents designed for travel, leisure and summer getaways.
The Paris debut reflects the brand’s broader ambition to position Indian ethnic fashion as an evolving force within global style culture. As international fashion increasingly embraces diverse design narratives, WforWoman’s presence on the Paris runway signals a growing appetite for contemporary Indian aesthetics.
Following the showcase, the Spring Summer 2026 collection is now available across WforWoman stores in India and through the brand’s official website, bringing its Paris runway moment directly to customers at home.
Brands
Uber launches hotel bookings feature in partnership with Expedia
From hotel bookings to room service at your door, the ride-hailing giant is making its boldest push yet into everyday life
CALIFORNIA: Uber is done being just a taxi app. At its annual GO-GET product event, the world’s leading mobility and delivery platform unveiled a sweeping set of new features designed to plant itself at the centre of how people travel, eat and shop, hotel bookings included.
The headline move is a partnership with Expedia Group that lets Uber users in the United States book hotels directly within the Uber app, with access to a catalogue that will eventually grow to more than 700,000 properties worldwide. Uber One members get 10 per cent back in Uber One credits on all hotel bookings and savings of at least 20 per cent on a rolling list of more than 10,000 hotels globally. Vacation rentals from Vrbo, Expedia Group’s home-rental brand, will be added later this year. The partnership is expected to expand beyond the United States. From June, Uber rides will also be integrated directly into the Expedia app, with push notifications sent to travellers ahead of hotel check-in to book discounted Uber rides for the duration of their stay.
Dara Khosrowshahi, chief executive of Uber, framed the expansion in terms of the modern condition. “Uber is becoming an app for everything, helping people go, get, and now travel all in one place,” he said. “We’re all living through a moment of real cognitive overload: too many apps, too many decisions, too much noise. At the end of the day, our job is to help people reclaim their time, spending less of it managing the logistics of life and more of it actually living.”
Ariane Gorin, chief executive of Expedia Group, struck a similarly ambitious note. “Travel should feel effortless, and this partnership gets us one step closer to offering a seamless traveller experience,” she said. “By connecting our two-sided marketplace with Uber, we’re bringing Uber rides directly into the Expedia app and Expedia Group’s lodging inventory into the Uber app through our Rapid API technology. Together, we’re helping travellers spend less time planning and more time enjoying the journey.”
Beyond hotels, the product announcements come thick and fast. Travel Mode, available within both the Uber and Uber Eats apps, offers curated recommendations on local favourites, tourist destinations, OpenTable restaurant reservations and on-demand delivery to hotel rooms. Uber One International means the membership programme now works globally, allowing members to earn credits on rides abroad that can be redeemed once back home. A new Shop for Me feature lets users request items from any store, even those not listed on the app. Eats for the Way allows riders in select cities booking an Uber Black or Uber Black SUV to have a drink or snack waiting for them in the car. Voice Bookings, powered by artificial intelligence, lets users book a ride conversationally, without touching their phone. And a redesigned One Search bar consolidates results for places, food and items across the entire Uber platform in a single query.
Uber has now logged more than 72 billion trips since it launched in 2010. The question it is now answering is what comes after the ride. The answer, apparently, is everything else. Whether users want a hotel in Paris, a coffee in the back of a car or a snake plant from the local garden centre, Uber would very much like to be the one to provide it. The app economy’s land grab has a new front-runner.
NOTE: The image used is AI generated and only for representational purposes.
