Pankaj and Nidhi are a talented designer duo who launched their label in 2006. They are the winners of the iconic International Woolmark Prize, 2012, India and competed for the International Finals at London Fashion Week in February 2013. In 2012, they were chosen as Grand Finale designers for Lakme Fashion Week where their collection received a standing ovation. In 2010 they also won the Grand First Prize at the International Apparel Federation’s International Fashion Award at the World Apparel Convention in Hong Kong. Pankaj graduated with top honours from the National Institute of Fashion Technology (N.I.F.T.). He won the Uma Nath Gold Medal for topping academics and the Ritu Kumar Award for Best Graduating Collection 1995. He also won the first Smirnoff International Fashion Award in 1994. After that, he worked with one of India’s top designers, Rohit Bal, as Head of Design for 10 years. He met and married his colleague Nidhi, who also studied at N.I.F.T, while working there. The husband and wife team talks about the process they follow and what propels their drive towards perfection.
How did your journey in the fashion world begin?
Nidhi: Both of us were science students, but destiny had other intentions, and fashion just happened because of our interest in art and design. So we applied to NIFT. Pankaj was senior to me – there were only 25 seats in the whole country. We were destined to be in fashion. And yes, we are happy to do something that brings us joy and sparks our creativity every day. That’s what drives us, and we are happy to have this butterfly effect of life taking over and finding ourselves in this industry.
How did you arrive at the signature aesthetic your brand is famous for?
Pankaj: When we started our collection, we went into an artisanal and authentic kind of overdrive into techniques from vintage books from all around the world, which fascinated us. As a consequence, our debut show was well received and won a lot of accolades because we went full-on craft mode in a sophisticated and contemporary manner. We realised after doing that show that what we had done then kind of set the precedent for what we would actually continue to do over time.
How has your technique evolved from the time you both started to now?
Pankaj: As time goes on, one hopes that it also changes a technique. So many of the techniques that we experiment with or have fun with, we kind of fine-tune to make them more practical, so to speak. Just to give you an example, for instance, in the initial few years, when we did the latticework, we would try to do it in a way that it would look as if it were done in the air. So it was woven and then the fabric from the background was drawn out thread by thread, giving the appearance of an actual basket that doesn’t have a base underneath, But what we realise is that once you do that, it also, you know, leaves a little thread in print. The fact is that they were a little pokey and we eventually started lining them with soft silk, organza and silk fabric and as a consequence, these things have evolved to become more wearer-friendly. It wasn’t just pieces for the ramp, as it was initially; it was also about pieces that would sell.
Given a choice, which era from Bollywood would you pick or which actress would you design for?
Nidhi: I think the actress that comes to mind is Rekha. I think she’s an impressive woman. I love how she expresses herself and how she voices what she’s thinking. She’s so bold with her decisions, life, and opinions. She’s very inspiring as a person, so I love that about her. And I think she would carry off our clothes well. I would love for her to wear something from us.
Pankaj: I think for me—not that I know much about movies—the transformational movie that I saw in my youth was Dil Chahta Hai, which was the turning point where suddenly these actors were well-dressed or well-turned out. I’m not saying actors before that were not well turned out, but there was this shift where you noticed the size of the lapel on Aamir Khan’s blazer or the fact that he was dressed for that occasion. For me, it was that time when Bollywood started just looking more well-dressed.
If you had to choose a feature film or series to design for, which one would you pick?
Pankaj: We’re big fans of music. We love Coldplay and we love the messages that they give out. The world in terms of positivity and talking about sustainability. So for four years, Coldplay stopped doing concerts completely because they were unhappy with the amount of waste that it generated. And finally, they are touring again. I’m sure once they figure out how to do a music concert sustainably, this is the kind of thought process that inspires the youth. These are the kinds of things that sort of move us. So yes, I would love to design clothes for a music video for Coldplay.
Which celebrity was the first showstopper for your runway showcase?
Nidhi: It was Aditi Rao Hydari.
Which collection was that?
Nidhi: This was for our couture show in 2019, our first show. We had to make this choice about who we would love to bring in as a showstopper for this debut couture show. We were drawn to her because she is elegant and fashionable at the same time and transforms beautifully into the different looks that she wears. I also engaged with her a little more. We did her fittings, spoke to her more and got to know her more. Aditi was very cool as a showstopper; the first day she tried on the outfit, she fell in love with it. Beautiful organza with interesting sleeves and big volume sleeves It was a contemporary way of wearing a lehenga. And she was so confident.
Pankaj: It was just the kind of intelligent aura about her that got us drawn towards her. Whether it was coming through in whatever interview she gave or the way she spoke outside her films, There’s just some kind of new and yet timeless kind of grace about it, which we thought kind of resonated with our brand’s image.
Which of your collections has been the most memorable yet?
Pankaj: It was probably a collection at that time called House of Cards. In those days, it was Wills India Fashion Week. And it was quite a prominent show. We had gone all out in terms of presentation. An amazing set designer had designed this set, which had a backdrop of cascading or falling cards that were huge, like probably a two-by-three feet kind of car. The most fantastic duo who performed for us was magical and we’ll see that at the time it was pure drama, like black, white and a lot of gold. And that’s what people also remember.
Designing for the big Bollywood wedding trousseau is the in thing these days. What are your thoughts on that?
Nidhi: Our team is quite contemporary. In weddings that I imagine, the bride could be an Indian, she could be an Italian, or she could be French. I mean, the girl we imagine when we design is a truly global woman and she could be of any nationality. She’ll wear our garment for cocktail night or on her special day. Or she can wear it for a very important milestone in her life. So that’s how the thought process works. I think we are very international in our way of thinking. Yeah, the whole wedding itself is probably set in a very interesting setting. It could be in Goa, or it could be in a Portuguese fort.
Ananya Panday walked the runway for you guys recently; what did you observe about her fashion sense since a lot of youngsters look up to her style?
Nidhi: I think Ananya is cool. She is a youth icon for this generation and she is fit and doing well in her career. She was a pleasure to work with; everything looked great on her. She was clear when her name came up about what she liked. She has an interesting image that she is super passionate about. So it was really fun to dress up with a celebrity like that because it makes everything so smooth, and the whole process of fashion becomes so exciting for somebody like her.
We are living in times when this generation looks up to the stars to get inspired. Sustainable fashion is one such topic; do you think celebrities are inspiring enough in that context?
Pankaj: What’s encouraging is that, at least, conversations are happening. For example, you know that Lakme Fashion Week started with the sustainability topic and now has a full day dedicated to it. It makes designers more mindful about what they’re producing, and it makes humans aware as well.
Nidhi: They are paying attention to sustainability, and yes, like you said, people look up to celebrities. They take notice of what they’re wearing and how they’re dressing, and yes, it influences people for sure and it’s a wonderful conversation and a thought.
