Maheka Mirpuri reimagines royalty in athleisure with her Maharani Athleisure collection

Inspired by Maharani Gayatri Devi the designer’s new Spring/Summer 2026 edit blends regal detailing with modern sportswear, from hand-painted jackets to embroidered suspenders

The dusty-rose, lace-trimmed folding fan paired with corsets, hoodies and trainers by Fenty x Puma at Paris Fashion Week in 2016 marked Rihanna’s playful imagining of Marie Antoinette at the gym, reigniting fashion’s fascination with blending aristocratic glamour and athletic ease. The dialogue was first shaped by Alexander McQueen and Vivienne Westwood in the 1990s and echoed in Burberry’s four-piece capsule collection launched last month as a centenary tribute to Queen Elizabeth II. Now, Mumbai-based designer Maheka Mirpuri drives the narrative home with a collection that envisions a modern maharani — inspired by the third Maharani consort of Jaipur (1940 to 1949) Gayatri Devi — stepping onto the pickleball or padel court.

Called Maharani Athleisure, the Spring/Summer 2026 edit is an extension of the designer’s Fall/Winter Diwali collection called Modern Maharani | Photo Credit: Special arrangement

Called Maharani Athleisure, the Spring/Summer 2026 edit is an extension of the designer’s Fall/Winter Diwali collection called Modern Maharani; though birthed by the same inspiration, both stamp a distinct signature on the design register. “Gayatri Devi was my inspiration for Modern Maharani and I have always been inspired by the quiet strength and the inner grace of a maharani; Maharani Athleisure meets that modern Maharani at the sports arena,” Maheka says, on a Zoom call. While elaborating on striking a balance between the collection’s elevated design and comfort, she first mentions the zippers.

A jacket from the limited-edition collection comprising 86 garments | Photo Credit: Special arrangement

“Zippers instantly give a sporty feel. The collection comprises chunky, hand-painted jackets (with acrylic paint) with a lot of floral embroidery. They also feature Swarovski embellishments, ornate brooches and embroidered buttons,” she says.

The limited-edition collection comprising 86 garments also brings to mind American designer Jeremy Scott’s creatives for Adidas Originals, 2010, where he staged royal iconography on athleisure garments. In Maharani Athleisure the iconography leans into popular culture with Mexican artist Frida Kahlo’s portrait on a deep orange jacket and a floral blue gilet.