This collection reimagines heritage with elegance and modern ease
It’s not every day that a collection manages to honour tradition while feeling entirely at home in the present. With Navrang, Wabi Sabi By Anshum-Ritesh strikes that delicate balance with remarkable ease. Inspired by the evocative world of V. Shantaram’s 1959 classic film Navrang, designers Anshum Saran and Ritesh Rajput reinterpret heritage through a distinctly contemporary lens.
A soft palette, intricate motifs and fluid silhouettes lend the collection a quiet elegance, allowing nostalgia and modernity to coexist without competing for attention. In a conversation with Indulge, Ritesh speaks about translating a cinematic vision into garments, preserving the integrity of traditional craft, and creating timeless pieces that tell a story with subtlety rather than spectacle.
Excerpts:
What was the inspiration behind Navrang?
Inspired by V. Shantaram’s cinematic masterpiece Navrang, the collection celebrates the nine colours of emotion through understated palettes, handcrafted textiles, and contemporary silhouettes — bringing together imagination, artistry, and Indian craft in a quiet, modern expression.
The collection features florals and paisleys with a vintage sensibility. What inspired these motifs, and how were they developed?
The floral and paisley motifs were inspired by the film’s romantic, imaginative world. Rather than recreating historical designs, we looked at vintage Indian textiles, hand-painted botanical studies, and traditional paisley forms, reinterpreting them with a softer, more contemporary sensibility. The motifs were developed as hand-drawn artworks and translated into embroideries, hand painting, prints, and engineered placements, allowing each technique to bring out a different character while retaining an artisanal feel. The intention was to evoke nostalgia through craftsmanship, creating pieces that feel timeless rather than period-specific.
Were there any traditional textile techniques or archival references that informed the collection?
Traditional Indian textiles and craftsmanship were central to the collection. We looked at archival Chintz florals, vintage paisley textiles, and handcrafted embroideries as key references, while studying the subtle irregularities that make handmade textiles so distinctive. These influences were interpreted through techniques such as hand embroidery, hand painting, tie-dye, and engineered textile placements. The focus was on preserving the spirit of Indian craft while presenting it through clean, contemporary silhouettes that feel relevant today.
How do you approach modernising heritage without losing its essence?
For us, modernising heritage isn’t about changing the craft — it’s about changing the context. We retain the integrity of traditional textiles, hand techniques, and artisanal processes, but reinterpret them through contemporary silhouettes, refined proportions, and versatile styling. The goal is to create garments that feel relevant to today’s wearer while preserving the emotion, craftsmanship, and cultural value that make them timeless. It’s about evolution rather than reinvention.
Were there any techniques or embellishments that proved particularly challenging or rewarding to execute?
One of the most rewarding aspects was translating hand-drawn artworks into different surface techniques without losing their character. Whether through hand embroidery, painting, or engineered placements, each technique required multiple rounds of sampling to retain the softness and spontaneity of the original artwork. Tie-dye also demanded careful control to achieve subtle, nuanced colour variations rather than bold contrasts. While these processes were time-intensive, they are what give each garment its individuality and handcrafted appeal.
Is there one look in Navrang that you feel best encapsulates its spirit?
Rather than a single garment, it’s the dialogue between the pieces that best represents the collection. A hand-painted kurta paired with relaxed trousers reflects the essence of the collection. It combines colour, craftsmanship, and storytelling in a way that feels rooted in tradition while remaining effortless and contemporary. That’s the balance we set out to achieve throughout the collection.
Prices start at `23,000. Available online.