What if the wall - an often-ignored aspect of everyday architecture but also a medium of artistic expression - becomes the very source of inspiration?
Raw Mango's Festive 2026 collection is titled Bhitti Chitra. Drawing from the paintings in Ajanta Caves and Garh Palace to Roman Frescoes that treated architecture as a way of storytelling, this collection, inspired by the Classical Age, presents the next era in the evolution of Raw Mango.
In conversation with Homegrown, Sanjay Garg shared how he has always been drawn to the classical age in the subcontinent; the 1st to 6th centuries, when trade opened pathways for the exchange of ideas, techniques, and culture, and frescoes evolved across many empires of the world. The way Italians and Indians painted our myths, fantasies, aspirations and depictions of everyday lives across the walls of palaces and caves inspired Sanjay to create this collection in muted hues, new motifs and a campaign film that is reminiscent of old Indian newsreels and anthropological documentaries.
When asked about everything from the inspiration to the execution of the collection and its campaign, Sanjay shared how “the process from inspiration to the final product is always a collaborative effort at Raw Mango. We are working with designers, weavers, musicians, filmmakers, writers — each of whom brings their own ideas and perspectives to the collection. All of us are looking at the same inspiration, and the final product is a fusion of several different ways of interpreting that inspiration.”
As with many reputed Indian design houses, the Raw Mango team is working on developing collections throughout the year since they don’t follow a seasonal calendar. This collection is one that has been in the works for a few years.
The muted palette of this collection is a step away for Raw Mango from its established sensibilities in their brand evolution. They intentionally chose a muted palette to do justice to their inspiration, the frescoes and paintings done with natural pigments that might not have been as vibrant as modern-day colours. The designer shared how the hues from their previous collections were muted down for this collection: “In this collection, we have swapped out bottle green for a light jade, and electric pink with dusty lychee. Chrome yellow, earthy red, deep mural green, black and midnight blue round out the collection's restrained yet rich visual language.”
The details of this collection draw heavily from architecture as well - from filigree patterns seen in historic royal architecture to motifs and figures noted in ancient paintings - adapted to suit the collection. According to the brand, “Celestial figures share the frame with the subcontinent's ancient flora and fauna. Griffins, mermaids, angels and swans appear in turns, blending fantasy with architecture and geometry. A load-bearing angel that has held up ancient temple walls for centuries is reinterpreted holding up a sari. The courtiers of Rajasthan, preserved in Bundi's frescoes, come to life once again as characters across the collection's visual storytelling.”
When it came to the fabrics and techniques, Raw Mango has continued their exploration with a range of textiles that include Varanasi brocades, silk, velvet, wool and canvas with this collection as well. Sanjay Garg added that woven motifs, brocade compositions, zardozi and thread embroidery form an important part of the collection.
In addition to the visual presentation, sonic identity is something that Raw Mango has put at the heart of their practice, whether that is a collection, a show or a showcase that is at hand. For Bhitti Chitra, the visuals are atmospheric, with the models posing against faded old wall paintings, and the sound is evocative with whistling winds, clanging bells, deep drum beats, and ambient sound reminiscent of olden times. According to Sanjay, their initial inspiration came from the voiceover of ‘Bharat Ek Khoj’, adapted from Nehru’s ‘Discovery of India’. As well as the voiceovers of NFDC’s Films Division newsreels, when news was screened in cinemas and not on news channels. He shared how they were interested in exploring how these mediums documented India’s culture, art and history, and in the way their narration and visual language shaped our understanding of the country.
Through Bhitti Chitra, Raw Mango is inviting its audience to look at India through an age-old, almost ancient lens - revisiting art and architecture from yesteryear to find new inspiration in their timeless, culturally rooted sensibilities - and a clear rejection of fleeting microtrends and templatised festive campaigns.
Follow Raw Mango here.
If you enjoyed reading this, here's more from Homegrown:
'Garland': Raw Mango’s Latest Campaign Is A Case Study In Understated Homegrown Elegance
3 Homegrown Collectives Turning Plain Homes Into Personal Wall Art Galleries