Pankaj and Nidhi are a gifted designer duo who launched their label in 2006. They’re the winners of the enduring Worldwide Woolmark Prize, 2012, India and competed for the Worldwide Finals at London Style Week in February 2013. In 2012, they had been chosen as Grand Finale designers for Lakme Style Week the place their assortment obtained a standing ovation. In 2010 additionally they gained the Grand First Prize on the Worldwide Attire Federation’s Worldwide Style Award on the World Attire Conference in Hong Kong. Pankaj graduated with prime honours from the Nationwide Institute of Style Expertise (N.I.F.T.). He gained the Uma Nath Gold Medal for topping lecturers and the Ritu Kumar Award for Finest Graduating Assortment 1995. He additionally gained the primary Smirnoff Worldwide Style Award in 1994. After that, he labored with certainly one of India’s prime designers, Rohit Bal, as Head of Design for 10 years. He met and married his colleague Nidhi, who additionally studied at N.I.F.T, whereas working there. The husband and spouse crew talks concerning the course of they observe and what propels their drive in direction of perfection.
How did your journey within the trend world start?
Nidhi: Each of us had been science college students, however future had different intentions, and trend simply occurred due to our curiosity in artwork and design. So we utilized to NIFT. Pankaj was senior to me – there have been solely 25 seats in the entire nation. We had been destined to be in trend. And sure, we’re joyful to do one thing that brings us pleasure and sparks our creativity on daily basis. That’s what drives us, and we’re joyful to have this butterfly impact of life taking up and discovering ourselves on this business.
How did you arrive on the signature aesthetic your model is legendary for?
Pankaj: Once we began our assortment, we went into an artisanal and genuine sort of overdrive into methods from classic books from all world wide, which fascinated us. As a consequence, our debut present was properly obtained and gained a number of accolades as a result of we went full-on craft mode in a complicated and modern method. We realised after doing that present that what we had finished then sort of set the precedent for what we might really proceed to do over time.
How has your method advanced from the time you each began to now?
Pankaj: As time goes on, one hopes that it additionally modifications a method. So most of the methods that we experiment with or have enjoyable with, we sort of fine-tune to make them extra sensible, so to talk. Simply to offer you an instance, as an illustration, within the preliminary few years, once we did the latticework, we might attempt to do it in a approach that it could look as if it had been finished within the air. So it was woven after which the material from the background was drawn out thread by thread, giving the looks of an precise basket that doesn’t have a base beneath, However what we realise is that when you try this, it additionally, you recognize, leaves a little bit thread in print. The very fact is that they had been a little bit pokey and we ultimately began lining them with gentle silk, organza and silk material and as a consequence, this stuff have advanced to turn out to be extra wearer-friendly. It wasn’t simply items for the ramp, because it was initially; it was additionally about items that may promote.
Given a selection, which period from Bollywood would you choose or which actress would you design for?
Nidhi: I feel the actress that involves thoughts is Rekha. I feel she’s a powerful lady. I like how she expresses herself and the way she voices what she’s considering. She’s so daring together with her selections, life, and opinions. She’s very inspiring as an individual, so I like that about her. And I feel she would carry off our garments properly. I’d love for her to put on one thing from us.
Pankaj: I feel for me—not that I do know a lot about films—the transformational film that I noticed in my youth was Dil Chahta Hai, which was the turning level the place abruptly these actors had been well-dressed or well-turned out. I’m not saying actors earlier than that weren’t properly turned out, however there was this shift the place you seen the dimensions of the lapel on Aamir Khan’s blazer or the truth that he was dressed for that event. For me, it was that point when Bollywood began simply trying extra well-dressed.
For those who had to decide on a characteristic movie or collection to design for, which one would you choose?
Pankaj: We’re huge followers of music. We love Coldplay and we love the messages that they offer out. The world by way of positivity and speaking about sustainability. So for 4 years, Coldplay stopped doing live shows fully as a result of they had been sad with the quantity of waste that it generated. And at last, they’re touring once more. I’m certain as soon as they determine tips on how to do a music live performance sustainably, that is the sort of thought course of that conjures up the youth. These are the sorts of issues that form of transfer us. So sure, I’d like to design garments for a music video for Coldplay.
Which movie star was the primary showstopper on your runway showcase?
Nidhi: It was Aditi Rao Hydari.
Which assortment was that?
Nidhi: This was for our couture present in 2019, our first present. We needed to make this selection about who we might love to usher in as a showstopper for this debut couture present. We had been drawn to her as a result of she is elegant and trendy on the identical time and transforms fantastically into the completely different appears that she wears. I additionally engaged together with her a little bit extra. We did her fittings, spoke to her extra and acquired to know her extra. Aditi was very cool as a showstopper; the primary day she tried on the outfit, she fell in love with it. Lovely organza with attention-grabbing sleeves and massive quantity sleeves It was a up to date approach of sporting a lehenga. And he or she was so assured.
Pankaj: It was simply the sort of clever aura about her that acquired us drawn in direction of her. Whether or not it was coming by in no matter interview she gave or the way in which she spoke outdoors her movies, There’s just a few sort of new and but timeless sort of grace about it, which we thought sort of resonated with our model’s picture.
Which of your collections has been essentially the most memorable but?
Pankaj: It was in all probability a group at the moment known as Home of Playing cards. In these days, it was Wills India Style Week. And it was fairly a distinguished present. We had gone all out by way of presentation. A tremendous set designer had designed this set, which had a backdrop of cascading or falling playing cards that had been large, like in all probability a two-by-three toes sort of automobile. Essentially the most implausible duo who carried out for us was magical and we’ll see that on the time it was pure drama, like black, white and a number of gold. And that’s what individuals additionally keep in mind.
Designing for the large Bollywood marriage ceremony trousseau is the in factor as of late. What are your ideas on that?
Nidhi: Our crew is sort of modern. In weddings that I think about, the bride may very well be an Indian, she may very well be an Italian, or she may very well be French. I imply, the lady we think about once we design is a very international lady and he or she may very well be of any nationality. She’ll put on our garment for cocktail evening or on her big day. Or she will put on it for a vital milestone in her life. In order that’s how the thought course of works. I feel we’re very worldwide in our mind-set. Yeah, the entire marriage ceremony itself might be set in a really attention-grabbing setting. It may very well be in Goa, or it may very well be in a Portuguese fort.
Ananya Panday walked the runway for you guys not too long ago; what did you observe about her trend sense since a number of kids look as much as her type?
Nidhi: I feel Ananya is cool. She is a youth icon for this era and he or she is match and doing properly in her profession. She was a pleasure to work with; the whole lot appeared nice on her. She was clear when her identify got here up about what she appreciated. She has an attention-grabbing picture that she is tremendous obsessed with. So it was actually enjoyable to decorate up with a star like that as a result of it makes the whole lot so clean, and the entire strategy of trend turns into so thrilling for any person like her.
We live in occasions when this era appears as much as the celebs to get impressed. Sustainable trend is one such matter; do you suppose celebrities are inspiring sufficient in that context?
Pankaj: What’s encouraging is that, not less than, conversations are taking place. For instance, you recognize that Lakme Style Week began with the sustainability matter and now has a full day devoted to it. It makes designers extra conscious about what they’re producing, and it makes people conscious as properly.
Nidhi: They’re being attentive to sustainability, and sure, such as you stated, individuals look as much as celebrities. They take discover of what they’re sporting and the way they’re dressing, and sure, it influences individuals for certain and it’s a beautiful dialog and a thought.
