OUR SIGNATURE CRAFT
An old art, with a place in the present.
Kalamkari is a traditional Indian textile art known for its detailed drawing and painting on cloth. The name brings together two words: kalam, meaning pen, and kari, meaning work or craft. The practice has developed through different regional traditions, each with its own way of preparing, decorating and colouring fabric. Srikalahasti is especially associated with hand-painted Kalamkari, while Machilipatnam is known for its block-printed tradition.
The work asks for a close understanding of the cloth. The artist has to know how the tool moves across the surface, how the colour settles and how a design should be built up. A composition is often made in stages, with careful attention given to the lines, forms and smaller details. The skill comes not only from being able to draw but also from knowing how to work with the material.
At Plume Nova, Kalamkari is an important part of our design language. We work with hand-painted motifs and, in selected pieces, bring embroidery into the composition. Silk thread can add definition and texture to a painted form, creating a surface that has both colour and dimension. The two techniques are handled as parts of one design, rather than as separate decorations.
The process begins with the fabric. We consider its weight, texture and suitability for the design before deciding how to approach the painting. The motif is developed for that surface, and the artist works through it by hand. Where embroidery is used, it follows the painted composition and adds another layer of detail. The finished result carries the character of the cloth and the person who worked on it.
Our work with Kalamkari is also a way of thinking about how heritage can continue. We respect the knowledge held in the craft and the regional traditions from which it comes. At the same time, we look for ways to bring its techniques into garments and accessories that feel at home in contemporary wardrobes. We want people to encounter the craft by wearing it, noticing it and learning a little about the work behind it.
For Plume Nova, luxury Kalamkari art is closely tied to the time and skill involved in making it. Hand-painted Indian textiles have a quality that is difficult to reproduce mechanically: the line, the variation in colour and the small decisions that shape the surface. By working with artisans and bringing these details into modern forms, we hope to give traditional Indian textile craftsmanship a continuing place in everyday life.
Kalamkari is not simply a decorative element. It is a central part of the brand’s identity.
Kalamkari motifs have often drawn from the natural world, stories and decorative traditions, and the language of the craft has changed across places and periods.
We approach that history with care. Our designs are informed by the broader visual richness of Indian textiles, while the actual composition is developed for the cloth and the finished piece.
This leaves room for the artist’s hand and for the design to feel connected to the present. It is this ongoing conversation between inherited skill and new use that keeps the craft meaningful to us.
Kalamkari motifs have often drawn from the natural world, stories and decorative traditions, and the language of the craft has changed across places and periods.
We approach that history with care. Our designs are informed by the broader visual richness of Indian textiles, while the actual composition is developed for the cloth and the finished piece.
This leaves room for the artist’s hand and for the design to feel connected to the present. It is this ongoing conversation between inherited skill and new use that keeps the craft meaningful to us.
