Pakistani designer Omar Mansoor showcased Punjab’s textile heritage at New York Fashion Week, presenting his Spring/Summer 2027 collection, “The Living Loom,” on September 10, 2026. The collection placed handwoven khaddar at its centre, bringing a traditional Pakistani textile craft into a contemporary international fashion setting.
Presented on Broadway, the collection explored the relationship between traditional craftsmanship and modern fashion. Rather than reproducing conventional Pakistani clothing, Mansoor used khaddar to create contemporary silhouettes, including sharply tailored jackets, coat dresses, A-line designs and elongated column dresses.
The khaddar featured in the collection was woven by artisans in Kamalia, Punjab, using handspun thread and traditional looms. According to Mansoor, the artisans and the process behind the fabric were central to the collection. The designer deliberately retained the variations in texture and weave that occur naturally in handwoven material.
Mansoor described the collection as a tribute to the tradition of handwoven fabric and the artisans who have maintained the craft across generations. His approach focused on bringing the material into a modern wardrobe while preserving its original character.
The collection featured a restrained ivory and black colour palette, with the designs relying on clean lines, proportions and structured construction. Triangular forms were also incorporated as a recurring design element. These geometric shapes were inspired by forms found in Indus Valley artefacts and pottery, connecting the contemporary collection with the region’s ancient visual heritage.
One of the defining aspects of “The Living Loom” was Mansoor’s decision to keep the natural irregularities of khaddar visible. Instead of treating differences in texture and weave as flaws, the collection presented them as characteristics of handmade fabric.
The designer said he wanted viewers to recognise the human labour behind the garments. This emphasis extended beyond the finished clothing to the process of producing the material, from spinning the thread to weaving the fabric and eventually turning it into garments.
The collection also presented Mansoor’s interpretation of sustainability through the origins of the material and the people involved in producing it. By using handwoven khaddar from Kamalia, the collection highlighted a traditional textile process within an international fashion context.
Mansoor’s presentation took place as New York hosted its Spring/Summer 2027 fashion events. The official New York Fashion Week schedule for the season included around 70 runway shows and designer presentations between September 10 and September 15.
Mansoor is a London-based Pakistani fashion designer who studied at the London College of Fashion. He launched his eponymous label in 2008 and has previously presented his work at international fashion events. His designs have also appeared in publications including Vogue UK and the Financial Times.
With “The Living Loom,” Mansoor brought a textile tradition associated with Punjab onto an international runway while maintaining a contemporary design language. The collection’s focus remained on khaddar, its handwoven construction and the artisans behind it.
The result was a Spring/Summer 2027 collection that connected Kamalia’s traditional weaving practices with contemporary fashion in New York, placing the material, its makers and its history at the centre of the presentation. As Mansoor put it, the narrative begins with the cloth and before the cloth, the loom.
