Not having seen a Pankaj & Nidhi collection on the ramp before I was eagerly looking forward to seeing their new S/S 2014 line at WLIFW (10th October 2013). Together this design duo is part of the new wave of Indian designers who have in the past five+ years really changed the face of Indian fashion once again – bringing new ideas, styles and silhouettes, new techniques for applying centuries of tradition and handcraft and contributing towards bringing Indian design to a more global platform. The collection titled “Grammar of Ornament” was in keeping with their signature style – which includes a high level of craftsmanship, close attention to detail, bold use of color and pattern and strong silhouettes. The collection combined a sporty look (a common trend across a number of other collections) with some incredibly detailed handwork – that demanded closer attention – as on the catwalk I was not fully able to gauge what treatments and techniques they had used.

What appeared to be laser cut work or print from a distance – on closer inspection was actually delicately hand cut and perfectly hand embroidered pieces that in my opinion show the incredible limits to which Indian craftsmanship (with the injection of contemporary design) can be stretched.

The colors ranged from crisp whites and creams to primrose yellows and navy with hot coral. In comparison to some other collections on show Pankaj and Nidhi’s silhouettes were more globally oriented. And while they do design Indian styled garments, overall this collection did not appear to be culturally or aesthetically rooted [read limited] to one particular place (i.e. not recognizably Indian). This I know is important to them – as they aspire towards greater global recognition for themselves and Indian design – which their accomplishments over the past year+ clearly show.

Here is a selection of images from the ramp, as well as some others that I was able to take in their stall at WLIFW. See more in the gallery at the end of the page. From a design perspective I liked the cohesiveness of the collection, something I stress upon in my own studio classes. But within the cohesion there was a lot of variety to choose from. My personal favorites are the images of the pieces up-close, especially those of the tiny fabric squares that have been cut and sewn on like sequins, and the jacket where they combine Ari work with (hand) cutwork and appliqué. (Thank you Pankaj and Nidhi for allowing me to snoop around your collection!).

While speaking to Nidhi about these obviously time intensive and meticulous garments I asked her to consider sharing images or videos of the pieces in process – so that it is possible to better understand the kinds of techniques they have developed for their designs, as well as learn the stories behind each piece. I was glad to see that they have since uploaded some images on their facebook page sharing the same! Way to go!

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Images by myself (Arti Sandhu)