New edit from Pankaj and Nidhi celebrates the romance of this Italian province known for its ‘joie de vivre’

Having launched their label in 2006 in Delhi, Pankaj Ahuja and Nidhi Ahuja, co-founders of the label Pankaj and Nidhi have won several accolades over the years including The International Apparel Federation Award in Hong Kong in 2010 and The International Woolmark Prize, New Delhi, 2012. Having established a brand presence in ready-to-wear, they then made their couture debut in 2019. Pankaj and Nidhi are both alumni from NIFT and the label is extremely popular with several celebs including Alia Bhatt, Deepika Padukone, Dia Mirza, Malaika Arora, Kiara Advani, Ananya Pandey, Kriti Sanon and Katrina Kaif. We catch up with duo to find out more about their latest collection, Toscano.

“We were inspired by the Tuscany region of Italy which has a breathtaking landscape and the colours of its topography are scintillating. Thematically, we find great joy in being inspired by different regions or cultures — each inspires a new visual, a different colour palette and yet there is this joie de vivre in each of our collections,”  begins Nidhi Ahuja.

Landscapes inspire the artworks of the print renders used in this edit and each is a different pattern offset against aquatic hues. The collection is a kaleidoscopic montage of sunlit flora and fauna patterns inspired by the natural beauty of Tuscany.

“The edit are inspired by the landscape of the Tuscan region and the colour palette is awash with chalky Mediterranean hues of turquoise, hibiscus, sand and sea-foam. Every fabric has been carefully selected and curated for this collection. There is a generous use of flowing chiffons and organzas made completely with recycled yarn to continue our effort towards sustainability. The Pankaj & Nidhi hallmark is the wear-ability of our silhouettes catering to diverse sizes. There are midi dresses, boxy blazer dresses and diaphanous billowing capes for special occasions,” explains Pankaj, adding, “Our international collections for Spring Summer 2024 are already ready and in India, next up, we will be launching our Festive/Couture collection early next month.”

INR 15,000 onwards. Available online.

romal@newindianexpress.com
@elromal