Art That Runs Deep

Designers Pankaj & Nidhi have developed exclusive surface texturing techniques, and they don’t plan on ceasing.

- Nidhi Raj Singh

On the ramp, models walked in edgy and glamorous clothes, but not without the fuss-free comfort. The spring/summer 2019 collection by Pankaj & Nidhi drew inspiration from lily and Fran Japanese florals. So, there were tone-on-tone styles, florals with high slits and flattering drapes. The designer duo have mastered the art of texturing, fusing them with contemporary tailoring and fluid designs. Over the years, they have developed unique ways giving their clothes dreamlike silhouette, yet kept them fiercely functional. Creating unique textures and embroidery has been their forte.

You have been blending art and design seamlessly.

Our love affair with museums and art continues to inspire us. For our autumn/winter 2019 collection, it was a walk through the galleries of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Among several inspiring works, one made a deep impression. Dutch artist Jan Davidz de Heem’s Still Life with Flowers in a Glass Vase (1650-1683). The detail and realism in this rather small painting is breathtaking. It made its way recently into our home on a magnified customised wallpaper.

Do you think wearable art is a sustainable form of designing clothes?

Our design philosophy blurs between art and fashion. We are inspired by art and like to create clothes like pieces of art. We create a collection that we would be proud of when we are looking at it 10 years from now, say in an archive museum or a retrospective exhibition of our brand. Each piece should be able to evoke a certain drama, excitement and a new visual. People might call it couture, but we make them ready-to-wear.

When did you decide to start your own label?

I was working with Rohit Bal, and Nidhi had joined there as a young designer. That is where we got to know each other, got attracted to each other, and got married. In 2006, we decided to start our own design house, our eponymous label.