Pichwai Paintings: How a Traditional Art form is Paving its Way to Mainstream Fashion!

Raja Ravi Verma, an Indian painter and artist once said, “It is important to recover the customs and the institutions of the past thus inaugurating the archaeological approach to art”. India is home to many art forms like Madhubani, Gond, Warli and much more. In recent years, we’ve seen Indian designers embody the rich heritage and glory of traditional Indian art in their designer fashion collections. Just like that, another booming trend is - Pichwai painting-inspired fashion. Many designers have launched an entire luxury fashion collection dedicated to Pichwai, but what is Pichwai art? Where does it come from? Let's get into the details.

History of Pichwai

Pichwai paintings are a traditional art form that specifically has large cloth paintings used to hang in the backdrop of temples. Pichwai paintings have a rich history dating back to 400 years, originating from the Nathdwara Temple in Rajasthan. It was created in the 17th century when a deity of Lord Krishna was being transported from a bullock cart to Nathdwara, that’s when the bullock cart got stuck in mud. This was seen as a divine sign, and the temple was built here.

Pichwai paintings particularly depict the life of ‘Shrinathji’ a form of Lord Krishna. The painting depicts the life scenes and teachings of Lord Krishna. Other than that, it also covers flora and fauna like cows, peacocks, elephants at times, and even lotuses. The vibrant colours and intricate designs are what make the paintings unique. Many Indian designers drew inspiration from this 400-year-old art form and turned it into wearable pieces of art highlighting the rich and impressive culture of India. In this article, we dive into how Indian designers are hopping on the Pichwai-inspired trend. 

Anita Dongre

Anita Dongre is a well-known luxury fashion designer in the Indian fashion industry. She’s known for her luxury and sustainability-focused fashion offerings. She specialises in luxury bridal couture, handcrafted lehengas, sarees, sherwani for men, and more. The House of Anita Dongre also has multiple brands like 'AND' (which specialises in Western wear), 'Global Desi' (contemporary fashion), 'Grassroot' (sustainable fashion) and 'Pinkcity' (jewellery brand). Anita Dongre is known for blending traditional Indian craftsmanship with modern fashion; this is how her 2019 Summer Collection inspired by Pichwai paintings, was born. The bridal couture collection inspired by Pichwai paintings was recently seen on Prajakta Koli, a YouTuber and actor, on her wedding day. Prajakta wore a custom cream-coloured Pichwai lehenga featuring handpainted Parijat flowers. Anita Dongre’s designer Summer Collection consists of all the elements used in this traditional art form, such as flowers, geometric patterns, vibrant colours and much more.

Manish Malhotra

Manish Malhotra is a renowned name in the Indian fashion industry. Over the years, Manish Malhotra has debuted some of the most luxurious and exquisite designer collections. Just like other Indian designers, he also hopped on the Pichwai paintings weaved into fashion trends. During the wedding of the century, the Ambani Wedding, Anant Ambani was seen wearing a vibrant red kurta with a regal gold jacket designed by Manish Malhotra. The red bespoke handpainted jacket had Pichwai artwork on it. The paintings on this jacket were inspired by the Nathdwara temple in Rajasthan. The jacket was adorned with real gold and the leaves were decorated using real gold vark (gold leaf). 

Rajdeep Ranawat

Rajdeep Ranawat is another remarkable Indian designer. He debuted his first collection in 2004, and ever since, his designs have evolved. He strongly believes in drawing inspiration from Indian craftsmanship, artisanal skills and techniques. In 2024, Rajdeep Ranawat exhibited his Pichwai Collection at Deval Murti’s designer store in Ahmedabad. This collection was about how heritage and tradition can be woven into modern-day fashion. In an interview, Rajdeep said, “Inspiration came from the miniature paintings and the stories that the artists have tried to tell through the scrolls and motifs like Lord Krishna, cows, the lotus and more. In the photoshoots as well, I wanted to give it a more European feel, and so, we have tried to fuse two cultures to give the collection a more global appeal”.

Label Pratham

Prashant and Shweta Garg began designing outfits for each other in 2004 and launched, Label Pratham in 2011. The brand’s forte lies in Pichwai-inspired motifs. They began experimenting with Pichwai paintings on sarees in 2015-2016. Label Pratham was born out of a vision to translate art into wearable fashion. The artistic core of the brand has been the legendary Pichwai art of Nathdwara in Rajasthan. Many celebrities were seen wearing their Pichwai-inspired outfits, like Nita Ambani, Sonam Kapoor, Vidya Balan and more. The brand has a variety of Pichwai motif sarees, dresses, tops, vests, tunics and many more clothing options. One of their recent launches gives a modern-day twist to age-old traditions. The collection was about Pichwai paintings on Paithani sarees.

Preserving and portrayal of Indian traditional art through mainstream fashion is a cultural breakthrough. Maybe one day, we will see Indian art forms on global fashion platforms or fashion weeks.