Who Is Adarsh Balak? The 1970s Indian Poster Boy On The London Runway

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Many Indians recognise him instantly: the dutiful, well-behaved boy from the school chart. This season, the Adarsh Balak walked the London Fashion Week runway. The Ideal Boy imagery from 1970s Indian school charts was featured in the Spring/Summer 2027 showcase of Delhi-based label Lovebirds.

Photo Credit: Instagram: @diet_paratha @lovebirds.studio

What is the Adarsh Balak?

The motif began as a satirical, comic-style poster about the qualities of an ideal middle-class Indian boy. Lovebirds took that familiar figure and gave it a second life on a global stage.

How it looked on the runway

The illustration was turned into graphic prints for deconstructed eveningwear. One standout look was a strapless gown in blue checks, cinched with a black obi belt, with the Adarsh Balak illustration at the centre of the bodice.

Inside India: IYKYK

The collection is titled India: IYKYK, the initials standing for "if you know, you know". Founders Amrita Khanna and Gursi Singh described it as a nostalgic yet razor-sharp love letter to the India of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. The Adarsh Balak was one part of a wider visual language of pre-digital India, including hand-painted advertisements, studio portrait backdrops and matchbox art.

The craft was as rooted as the references. Fabrics such as chintz, dupion, tussar and Banarasi brocade were handcrafted with artisans from Kutch and Varanasi, then transformed through embroidery, fraying and reconstruction.

Footwear delivered one of the show's cleverest moments. Female models wore heeled white chappals with blue straps inspired by the Paragon Hawaii chappal, while male models wore the familiar flat version. Other coverage describes the shoes as Bata chappals turned into sculptural kitten heels. Models also wore a black thread around the ankle, a nod to the Indian practice of warding off nazar, or the evil eye.

The most intimate look came at the start. A model appeared in a silk bra and sheer petticoat with floral embroidery and a voluminous 1960s bouffant, which Singh said reminded him of seeing their mothers just before they put on their saris.

Why it struck a chord

The designers noted backstage at Lindley Hall that the references were specific enough to feel instantly familiar to an Indian audience while appearing unexpected to viewers seeing them for the first time. The debut also points to a growing global appetite for Indian pop-culture nostalgia rendered through high craftsmanship.

Restraint helped. The tailoring stayed easy rather than rigid, and the collection never became overly decorative, so the cultural references sat naturally in the clothes instead of turning into costume.