MILAN — Talk about a wardrobe befitting a maharaja.

In keeping with its world trip concept, dubbed “SR Explorer,” Italian sartorial brand Stefano Ricci traveled for its spring 2026 collection to India — “the cradle of the human race,” as Mark Twain put it.

Over 10 days in the Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh regions, the Florentine label explored the Mughal capital of Agra with the Taj Mahal, as well as Jaipur, Udaipur and Jodhpur, bringing along master photographer Steve McCurry, who has trained his lens on the Indian subcontinent for almost five decades, providing memorable pictures.

Some of them were recreated for the Stefano Ricci images — half campaign and half travel diary — including the famous shot amid the maze-like streets of the painterly blue city of Jodhpur showing red sari-wearing women and a sitting man with a red turban.

The 2025 version features a Stefano Ricci model donning a cream-white relaxed suit crafted from Alpha yarn, a precious wool exclusively used by Stefano Ricci.

“It was a journey of discovery into the heart of India, [which is] suspended in time, where imperial palaces, untamed nature, silk and spice markets, and cenotaphs are imbued with a deep spirituality,” said the brand’s creative director Filippo Ricci during an unveiling at Milan’s Piccolo Teatro of a short movie captured during the trip.

“An ancestral calling, drawing a parallel between the Renaissance in Florence, the cradle of knowledge, and the ancient Mughal capitals. This mission was not without a few surprises, which made it all the more remarkable,” he said, referencing, for example, the blissful moment McCurry met with the subject of his famous shot “Boy in Mid-Flight,” captured in Jodhpur in 2007.

A few outfits in the Stefano Ricci spring lineup took direct cues from the rich nuances, opulent dressing and architecture of India.

For one, the evening pink blazer, slightly elongated and styled with pristine white sartorial pants, referenced the color of Jaipur’s Hawa Mahal landmark, known as the “palace of winds.” The smooth velvet tuxedos with silk trims and Indian-style, stand-up collars and long gold silk jacket, paired with white trousers, nodded to the country’s fashion sensibility.

Elsewhere, soft and lightweight tailoring with narrow pants done in neutral and earthy tones, field jackets with mandarin collars and horn buttons, and silk printed shirts conjured a dandy-on-a-mission vibe. The brand also provided its luxurious take on sweatsuits, paired with leather trainers.

Interspersed in the collection were show-stoppers such as the red nubuck leather bikers and marble-toned Himalaya crocodile duffel bags and briefcases with a velvety finish.

The collection will also be showcased at the upcoming edition of Pitti Uomo, running June 17 to 20.

Adding a social responsibility component to the Indian trip, Stefano Ricci has forged ties with India’s Centre for Wildlife Studies to support the conservation of tigers in their natural habitat, as part of its ongoing commitment to supporting local communities wherever it hosts an SR Explorer mission.

“We are especially pleased to have entered this partnership with Dr. Krithi Karanth, an internationally respected figure known for the rigor and impact of her conservation projects. Our contribution will help support studies on human–wildlife conflict in local communities,” said chief executive officer Niccolò Ricci on the stage of the Piccolo Teatro.

For its collections, the brand has so far visited Perù; Luxor, Egypt; Iceland; the Galápagos Islands; Mongolia, and Cambodia. Also for the latter trip it had conscripted McCurry.

India was not a random choice, as the country contributes to 4 percent of sales, the CEO of the family-owned company said. Part of that comes from its boutiques in Mumbai and New Delhi, but a significant portion is tied to the brand’s links with notable Indian customers, including the Ambani family.

Overall, Stefano Ricci, founded in 1972, logged sales of 233 million euros in 2024, flat versus 2023.

“In a time of considerable uncertainty such as the one we are currently experiencing, we remain confident thanks to a general performance that is broadly in line with the previous year’s results,” Niccolò Ricci said. Sales from directly operated stores in the first four months of 2025 showed a 3 percent gain, although overall sales slipped 3 percent in the same period, compared to 2024.

The brand operates 82 stores globally — including upcoming openings in Almaty in Kazakhstan, and Rome and Porto Cervo in Italy — and it’s certainly not skimping on retail investments.

“We’ve inherited this long-term vision from our father. He and my mother have always triggered us to raise the bar higher,” he said.

“The company continues to invest, particularly in the U.S. where, following last December’s opening in Houston, we will inaugurate a new boutique in Washington D.C. this September. At the same time, we have recently opened our boutique in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, a further expression of our ambitions in Southeast Asia,” Niccolò Ricci explained.

The brand has also recently cut the ribbon to a new state-of-the-art logistics facility in Florence and relocated its tailoring atelier from the original site in the city center to Caldine, a small town close to Fiesole located six miles outside Florence.

Reflecting its links to its territory, last month, the brand signed a cultural patronage agreement with the Uffizi Galleries, becoming the main sponsor for the removal of the construction crane that has been standing outside the prestigious cultural institution for over 20 years. Stefano Ricci will also fund the revamp of the museum’s courtyard.