India Couture Week 2023 recently completed its 16th edition at the Taj Palace in New Delhi. The fashion world is no stranger to surprises and excitement, and India Couture Week delivered on that promise once again. Celebrated designers across the nation including Falguni Shane Peacock and Gaurav Gupta showcased exquisite collections celebrating Indian aesthetics, remade for a contemporary audience. Bollywood's top stars including Ranbir Kapoor, Kiara Advani and Aditi Rao Hydari turned showstoppers for these couturiers. However, what truly stole the show was a trailblazing ramp walk by gay model Rabanne Victor who strutted down the runway in a resplendent golden fishtail lehenga.

Over the years, the fashion world has become more oriented towards inclusivity and diversity. It has increasingly celebrated aesthetics and models that defy social conventions of beauty, sexuality and gender identity. Rabanne Victor, a 34-year-old model from Mumbai embodied this spirit by smashing stereotypes when he walked the ramp clad in a fishtail lehenga with a sheer veil covering his head.