Pankaj & Nidhi present a pastel fantasy with 'Afterglow' at India Couture Week

By

Isabelle Crossley

Published
Aug 26, 2021

Design duo Pankaj & Nidhi showcased ‘Afterglow’, a tactile, pastel-hued collection with a modern focus and experimental aesthetic, at day three of India Couture Week. 

Pankaj & Nidhi’s couture offering for the season did not feature prints or embroidered motifs and instead used pearlised hues, fringing, and sequins to create an ethereal, futuristic effect. A monochrome gown entirely covered in different sized silver sequins to create the effect of hundreds of flowers and dresses featuring metallic fish-scale-esque decorations exemplified the collection’s aesthetic.
 
Keeping the focus on the clothing, the design duo opted to shoot their fashion film in a studio as opposed to the luxury hotels and historic buildings often chosen for such presentations. This gave a modern feel to the digital showcase in line with the brand’s focus towards millennial and Gen Z consumers.

“We want more young girls to adopt our couture, as we have established ourselves somewhat you can say modestly in the prêt market, this new arena of couture is both exciting and challenging,” said designer and co-founder Pankaj, the Fashion Design Council of India reported.
 
“We are not selling a story, and neither are we trying to romanticise, what we are attempting to do is get across a beautiful idea,” said Pankaj about the collection and fashion film.

“Frankly, it is not easy to sell ornamentation when you are not rowing the zardosi/heavy embroidery boat.”
 
The brand is also currently developing its menswear offering. 

“We had many brides request us to make something for the groom, earlier we were reluctant, but slowly we gave it a try and it made our clients happy,” said Pankaj. “This could be an addition to our future portfolio of offerings.”

India Couture Week runs until August 29 online across the FDCI's social media platforms and website. This is the second digital edition of the annual couture week.