Born from an unbridled passion for design, Hyderabad-based designer Aisha Rao’s eponymous label has, since its inception in 2018, quietly redefined modern luxury. With a distinctive approach to color, form, and technique, the brand has been creating pieces that go beyond mere trends.
A seamless amalgamation of spirited artistry, meticulous craftsmanship and modern sensibility, Aisha Rao’s designs have garnered an ardent following among Bollywood’s most stylish names.
From Athiya Shetty, Janhvi Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Diana Penty, Shanaya Kapoor, Shilpa Shetty, Mira Kapoor, Mrunal Thakur, Rakul Preet Singh, Taapsee Pannu to Neha Dhupia, Sania Mirza, Tamannaah Bhatia, Sara Ali Khan, Kajol, Huma Qureshi, Kajal Aggarwal, Allu Arjun, Rashmika Mandanna and Ayushmann Khurrana, the label has become a hot favorite among celebrities.
The label is best known for its maximalist aesthetic—a heady mix of fantasy, nature, and art brought to life through vibrant color palettes and Aisha Rao’s signature appliqué work. Rao began her career in law, earning a degree from NUJS, before following her true calling to Barcelona’s IED to study design.
This was followed by advanced training in Sewing and Garment Construction at Parsons, New York. This global exposure, combined with an understanding of Indian crafts, became the backbone of her design philosophy.
What started as an experiment with upcycled occasion wear has today evolved into a full-fledged fashion house rooted in individuality. Modern silhouettes crafted from exceptional materials form the core of the brand. Rao’s signature appliqué technique, which uses fabric waste to create vibrant motifs with an overlay of aari, zardozi, and macramé, adds depth and texture to every piece created.
The result is an eclectic mix of delicate detailing and maximalist expression, which feels contemporary yet timeless. This design aesthetics continue to shape the brand today, with each collection challenging preconceived notions of luxury and couture. The brand’s latest offering, Wild at Heart 2.0, is a quiet yet powerful reflection of this very philosophy.
While the original Wild at Heart edit was an exuberant celebration of imagination, Wild at Heart 2.0 deepens that spirit, becoming darker, richer, and more assured in its wildness. It is the continuation of a story that began with fantasy and flora, now reimagined in twilight tones and molten metallics.
Unveiled at India Couture Week 2025, the Wild at Heart collection was a maximalist love letter to nature in all its untamed beauty. Speaking about it, Aisha Rao shared, “It is not about restraint. It is about living a little louder, carrying joy like second skin, and letting everyday moments feel like poetry.
The silhouettes reflected that duality—sharp yet soft, blazers laced with theatre, lehengas draped with memory, florals stitched with a sense of nostalgia. For us, couture is not excess; it is expression. And Wild at Heart is created for the bride who refuses to blend in—wild, graceful, and unapologetically herself.”
Wild at Heart 2.0 is a natural progression of this philosophy. At its heart, the collection remains a love letter to nature’s untamed beauty, but this time it is seen through a more introspective lens. Black plays a key role, grounding the collection, while shades of gunmetal, silver, rust, mustard, cantaloupe, teal and ivory add depth, evoking the feeling of light and shadow coming together.
Aisha Rao’s quintessential appliqué technique once again takes center stage in this edit, creating surreal, sculptural, and richly textured silhouettes. Crafted from raw silks, organzas, dupions, and Banarasi tissues, the garments effortlessly strike a balance between structure and ease. Draped saris, sculpted lehengas, sharply tailored bandhgalas, fluid kaftans, corseted gowns, shararas, and statement gowns all find space in the Wild at Heart 2.0 edit.
Geometry dances with whimsy, embroidery glints with metallic sheen, and fantasy is given tangible form, lending the collection an almost dreamlike quality.
What further sets Wild at Heart 2.0 apart is its free-spirited confidence. While bold expression remains at the core, the collection feels more refined and assured. As described by the label itself, “It is a refined take on bold expression, where structure meets movement and intricate appliqué defines the collection’s unmistakable character.”
Further capturing the spirit of the collection, the brand notes, “Wild at Heart 2.0 is an invitation to embrace evolution—to stay wild but wear that wildness with quiet confidence. It celebrates imagination not just as escape, but as return—to oneself, to wonder, to everything that catches the heart before it catches the eye.”
The collection is available at Aisha Rao’s flagship stores in Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Delhi, as well as online at www.aisharao.com and select multi-brand e-stores.
