Pankaj And Nidhi

Pankaj and Nidhi launched their eponymous fashion label in 2006 and since then the duo has won both critical acclaim from fashion editors and buyers worldwide as well as commercial success with creative, experimental yet very wearable collections rooted in hand craftsmanship.

Design duo Pankaj and Nidhi launched their eponymous luxury label in 2006. Pankaj graduated with top honors from National Institute of Fashion Technology and won prestigious awards including Uma Nath Gold Medal for topping academics and Ritu Kumar Award for Best Graduating Collection 1995. After that he worked with Rohit Bal as Head of Design for ten years, and during his tenure there, met and married NIFT alumnus and colleague Nidhi who had to her credit worked with one of India's leading export firms The Creative Group which designs and produces for some of the biggest labels in Europe.

Celebrated for their fresh crisp design sensibility, this powerhouse couple pushes the envelope when it comes to style and elegance. The simplicity of silhouette and the couture embellishment with a restrained hand added visual assertiveness to the collections, which make a statement with a contemporary design language rooted in craftsmanship. 

Winner of the iconic International Woolmark Prize 2012, India Pankaj And Nidhi competed for the International Finals at London Fashion Week in February 2013. Per WWD: "The design duo of Pankaj And Nidhi have been chosen as the Indian regional winners in the global International Woolmark Prize competition. The judges praised them for their use of color and spontaneity inspired by ‘craftsmanship, symbolism and cultural objects.’"

The duo is acclaimed for using haute artistry with mathematical precision to make each look very wearable. Per Vogue: “Most of their garments are covered with hand-crafted detailing so fine, it's easily mistaken for a print. There lies half the pleasure of their aesthetic - that look of surprise on the faces of customers and critics alike when they realise the pattern they'd thought of as laser cut or digitally printed is actually the result of painstaking man hours of intricate labour.”

The design duo aspire to build their collections rooted in sustainability. They tell Travel + Leisure: "We have miles to go in this direction but have started taking steps—we are using a glorious bouquet of fabrics that are made entirely of recycled plastic waste. The hand feel is better than silk, the waste is ethically sourced and our buyers have loved and embraced it. We are able to use some of our leftover fabrics to cut into small bric-a-brac that can be used in embellishments."

Indian luxury label Pankaj And Nidhi is acclaimed for using haute couture artistry with mathematical precision to make each collection very wearable. 'The future of haute couture is not going to be just about bridal wear. It's going to be more evolved. The occasions where couture could be worn is becoming diverse and that's what makes it exciting' Pankaj had explained to Explosive Fashion on the eve of his showing at India Couture Week. 

Design duo Pankaj and Nidhi envisioned launching their own fashion brand where they express themselves through the design vocabulary of different cultures and art forms from across the world. Each season the designers immerse themselves in a new narrative with inspirations ranging from Japanese fishermens' sashiko coats or Polish paper cutting to Spanish matadors' costumes. Till date the designers have remained true to this brand philosophy with each new collection.

Pankaj And Nidhi at India Couture Week in 2019 was a milestone showing. Per Explosive Fashion: “Taking inspiration from mosaic which flourished in the Byzantine empire, the duo recreates it with three-dimensional hand-cut appliqués, metallic fabric biscuits, tropunto quilting, crystals, beading, delicate thread-work and geometric motifs on lightweight tulle, silk, satin and organza…  the duo is acclaimed for cutwork done by hand. It is not laser cut… it is cut with a small pair of scissors.”