HAUTE COUPLE

HUSBAND AND WIFE DUO PANKAJ AND NIDHI HAVE BEEN CREATING DREAMS TOGETHER, ONE STITCH AT A TIME. THEY TALK WITH TANISHA BHATTACHARYA ABOUT WHAT MAKES THEM TICK

- TANISHA BHATTACHARYA

Pankaj and Nidhi are a talented designer duo who launched their label in 2006. They are the winners of the iconic International Woolmark Prize, 2012, India and competed for the International Finals at London Fashion Week in February 2013. In 2012, they were chosen as Grand Finale designers for Lakme Fashion Week where their collection received a standing ovation. In 2010 they also won the Grand First Prize at the International Apparel Federation’s International Fashion Award at the World Apparel Convention in Hong Kong. Pankaj graduated with top honours from the National Institute of Fashion Technology (N.I.F.T.). He won the Uma Nath Gold Medal for topping academics and the Ritu Kumar Award for Best Graduating Collection 1995. He also won the first Smirnoff International Fashion Award in 1994. After that, he worked with one of India’s top designers, Rohit Bal, as Head of Design for 10 years. He met and married his colleague Nidhi, who also studied at N.I.F.T, while working there. The husband and wife team talks about the process they follow and what propels their drive towards perfection.

HOW DID YOUR JOURNEY IN THE FASHION WORLD BEGIN?

Nidhi: Both of us were science students, but destiny had other intentions, and fashion just happened because of our interest in art and design. So we applied to NIFT. Pankaj was senior to me – there were only 25 seats in the whole country. We were destined to be in fashion. And yes, we are happy to do something that brings us joy and sparks our creativity every day. That’s what drives us, and we are happy to have this butterfly effect of life taking over and finding ourselves in this industry.