Nathdwara, Rajasthan’s ancient artworks play muse to streetwear brand Rafu’d’s new edit, ‘Rasa‘

Shaishavi Mehta’s streetwear brand, Rafu’d, offers a fresh take on contemporary f ashion by blending India’s rich heritage textiles with quirky, modern designs. Since its inception in 2022, the label has released two distinct collections: one inspired by the intricate Rajasthani phad paintings and the other drawing from the vibrant mata ni pachadi of Gujarat. This autumn, Mehta unveils her latest offering — Rasa — a collection that breathes new life into the traditional pichvai art of Nathdwara. “I was exposed to the artform early on in my life, thanks to my family friends. During my quest for new ideas to base my latest collection on, pichvai came to mind and I decided to visit Nathdwara, where the artform hails from,” Shaishavi begins.

Rasa artfully reimagines sacred narratives from mythology, translating them into contemporary prints and silhouettes. The essence of pichvai — a style of intricate, large, Hindu cloth paintings depicting stories of Lord Krishna traditionally used as a backdrop for temple idols — intertwines with the Natyashastra, an ancient treatise on performing arts. “Rasa, inspired by the vibrant pichvai art of Nathdwara, reimagines sacred narratives of Lord Krishna through contemporary prints and silhouettes, featuring dramatic flora and fauna prints with bold strokes and vivid colours, each piece capturing the timeless beauty of India’s narrative textiles,” the designer reveals.

The collections encapsulates the deeply rooted depiction of Leela aka stories of Krishna, transforming sacred tales into vibrant visual experiences. “Each print and surface explores different aspects of pichvai. We have Arka, featuring different sun motifs, Baag showcasing foliage from the paintings, Butti boasting a motif pattern, Maakhan meaning butter — a tribute to Lord Krishna’s love for the same, Mor is the iconic bird from the artform, Padma and Shringaar sport delicate lotuses depicted in pichvai and lastly, the handwoven fabric borrows colours from piccha (feather) of a peacock,” the founder shares.

The Gujarat-based label’s new collection boasts over 44 pieces to choose from. Shop for trousers, shorts, skirts, jackets, blazers, vests, dresses and even trendy corsets. “We have quite a few variations of our best-selling bowling shirts. We’ve also opted for bigger prints this time along with expressive strokes featuring deep hues with very vibrant counterparts. I personally really love this colour palette. We have lots of greens and blues, a few solids including the hue of the season — butter yellow.

The edit is fashioned from a vivid variety of materials including the brand classics like tencel, handwoven kala cotton, modal and organic cotton — this season has experimented with a few textured fabrics with crinkle and fringes. “We put out a new collection after a year and now I’m hoping to work with knits for our upcoming collection, T-shirts, handknitted sweaters and maybe a few crochet shirts too,” she signs off.

INR 4,200 onwards. Available online.