Military Meets Spirituality

Maharishi has always occupied a distinctive place within British menswear, combining military-inspired clothing with elements of art, culture and craftsmanship. Its approach to design is instantly recognisable; functional garments are transformed through innovative fabrics, intricate embroidery, camouflage and unexpected cultural references. For London Collections Men, Maharishi presented a collection that took this philosophy in an intriguing new direction. CARRO was there behind the lens, capturing a collection in which military utility met religious symbolism, creating a striking and highly individual vision of contemporary menswear.

Devotion meets military design

The collection explored clothing worn by religious orders from around the world, bringing together references including Buddhist monk’s robes, Judaic prayer strings and the capes associated with the Knights Templar. These influences were reinterpreted through Maharishi’s familiar language of military and utility clothing. The result was a collection that felt both historical and futuristic. Traditional robes inspired elongated silhouettes, while military garments provided structure and functionality. Combat trousers, utility jackets, longline tops and hooded pieces were transformed through new proportions and details, creating a wardrobe that was recognisably Maharishi while pushing its familiar codes further.

Camouflage with a difference

Camouflage has long been central to Maharishi’s identity, but here it was treated less as conventional military pattern and more as a graphic language. The collection incorporated a distinctive Bonsai camouflage, combining Maharishi’s military heritage with a more organic and artistic interpretation of camouflage. The pattern appeared across T-shirts, sweatshirts, sweatpants and hooded pieces. The palette moved between earthy neutrals, golden browns, white, purple and vivid orange. The orange referenced the robes worn by Thai Buddhist monks, while purple and golden tones drew inspiration from Roman Catholic traditions. These colours gave the collection a surprisingly rich visual character, adding warmth and symbolism to otherwise utilitarian garments.

Utility becomes silhouette

One of the strongest aspects of the collection was the way Maharishi played with proportion. Military-inspired trousers became wider and more dramatic, while long shirts and oversized layers created silhouettes that could almost resemble traditional robes. Functional garments were extended and reshaped, turning familiar military references into something more fluid. The Prayer Fishtail Parka was a particularly distinctive example, updating the classic military fishtail silhouette with elongated zip pulls and trailing cords inspired by prayer shawls and rope belts. Elsewhere, a loose 3XDRY sweat poncho combined technical performance with the simplicity of Eastern monastic robes, demonstrating Maharishi’s ability to bring very different references together within a single garment.

Craftsmanship and embroidery

While the collection had a strong utilitarian foundation, craftsmanship remained at its heart. Embroidery added intricate detail to the military-inspired pieces, with one standout Tour Kimono Jacket featuring an embroidered world map across the back alongside the words Maharishi Pangaea Proxima World Tour. The combination of embroidery, technical fabrics and military construction gave the clothes a sense of history while keeping them firmly rooted in contemporary streetwear. It was a collection where the smallest details rewarded closer attention.

The Maharishi man

The overall effect was confident, functional and unconventional. Bucket hats, combat trousers, oversized layers, military jackets and flowing garments came together to create a silhouette that felt ready for movement while retaining a strong sense of individuality. There was an almost nomadic quality to the collection. The clothes appeared designed for a man who could move between environments, cultures and cities without losing his identity. That sense of movement is central to Maharishi’s appeal.

CARRO behind the lens

For CARRO, photographing Maharishi offered the opportunity to capture a collection where the clothes themselves told a story. The images reveal the contrasts within the designs; military structure against flowing silhouettes, functional clothing against intricate embroidery, and neutral tones punctuated by striking colour. The movement of the garments is equally important. Longline pieces, wide-legged trousers and layered outerwear create silhouettes that change as the models move, revealing different details from every angle. CARRO’s photographs preserve those moments, capturing not only the clothing but the attitude behind the collection.

A distinctive vision of menswear

Maharishi’s collection demonstrated that military-inspired clothing can be much more than functional. By bringing together religious dress, military uniforms, camouflage, sportswear and intricate craftsmanship, the brand created a highly individual interpretation of modern menswear. It was thoughtful without losing its edge, practical without sacrificing creativity, and deeply connected to Maharishi’s established design language. Through CARRO’s photography, that vision remains captured, a meeting of military utility, spiritual symbolism and contemporary British streetwear.