Onam fashion has come a long way from kasavu sari and mundu as the stars. This season, designers and homegrown brands are giving the familiar Kerala styles a playful twist.
From shirts splashed with Kerala-inspired illustrations and lungi-style skirts to manjadi accessories, there is plenty of experimentation going on. Some collections draw directly from the state’s culture, while others play with Malayalam fonts, folk art and everyday symbols to create pieces that are truly Malayali.
Here, we look at a few brands bringing something different to the Onam wardrobe this year. Whether you want to dress up for the sadya with family or find a fun wear for an office celebration, there is something for everyone.
Handcrafted goodness
Arish John Andrews, a Fine Arts graduate and Ayurveda doctor, first started making pieces of jewellery using the beloved ‘manchadikuru’ to pass time back in 2022.
“I experimented a little and eventually created a simple piece which I gifted to a friend. From there, the interest grew, and now I have more pieces. The work is inspired by the ones made by the Paniya tribe,” he says.
The collection is small but beautiful, ranging from necklaces and chokers to earrings and hair accessories. He insists that he does not want to mass-produce and prefers to create on demand. Another interesting product of his brand is hairpins and jewellery inspired by native birds that have always been part of Malayali lives.
The collection features jewellery made from clay in the shape of parrots, mynah, Asian koel (pulli kuyil), Rufous treepie (olanjali), and the Greater coucal (Uppan). “I believe that birds are like immortal souls. All my memories since childhood are linked to these birds in one way or another. It has been a long wish to create something with birds as the theme,” he says.
The stocks are limited, he smiles.
Kerala, with a quirky twist
Known for its quirky, statement-making designs, the brand is back with another Onam collection this year.
The new line features bold and vibrant shirts, saris, and for the first time, mundus. Its Kerala-inspired collection has already become popular, with Vishal Venugopal, who heads the brand, noting that knock-off versions of some of its designs have entered the market. The original, he says, continues to stand apart for its finish and detailing.
The prints, featuring pookalams, thiruvathira kali, chenda melam, onathappan, Maveli, Kathakali and so on, took around eight to nine months of planning and designing.
“Our aim has always been to set the trend every Onam,” says Vishal. This year, the team decided to add a mundu to the collection after noticing growing interest in the traditional garment.
“Over the years, I noticed that a lot of other brands designed mundus based on our shirt designs, so this year we decided to create our own line,” he smiles.
Celebrating Malayaliness
Sinu Rajendran has been a familiar name in Kerala’s design scene for years, having made her mark in macrame before venturing into jewellery with Knot Stories. Now she has been exploring jewellery inspired by Kerala and calls the line ‘Kaathilola’. Her latest creations play with the idea of “Malayaliness” in a distinctly contemporary way.
For Onam, Sinu has created a pair of handcrafted brass earrings featuring Malayalam alphabets that spell ‘Malayali’.
“The design took around six months to develop. We experimented with the form and detailing before arriving at the final version,” she says.
The earrings, which combine tradition with a quirky aesthetic, are already a hit. Before this, she had introduced a Theyyam-inspired necklace and earrings, which are also available this Onam season.
Sinu also runs Doodle Muni with her husband, Aarosh Thevadathil. For Onam, the brand has introduced a limited-edition Doodle Mundu, featuring a whimsical illustrated border.
The design brings together elements of Kerala’s culture and everyday life — from a toddy tapper to the iconic boat race — in Doodle Muni’s characteristic hand-drawn style.
Truly ‘hatke’
Elzaba Ipe’s brand L’Zaba brings an Onam collection that can live beyond the festive season. This year, she brings together handloom fabrics, embroidery works and a versatile entourage, with comfort at its core.
Among the highlights are double-sided wrap skirts and mundus. “They can be styled in different ways, making them easy to work into everyday wardrobes after Onam,” says Elzaba. Inspired by Kerala lungis to Southeast Asian sarongs or Northeastern wrap skirts, these are comfort and style wrapped in one fabric.
The womenswear includes skirts with relaxed tops, vibrant halter and cross-cut dresses, to name a few. The collection mostly uses cotton and is designed for different body types.
For men, there are hand-embroidered and kasavu shirts. “They can be paired with linen trousers for a more relaxed festive look,” she suggests.
According to Elzazba, casual shirts and double-sided mundus are emerging as favourites among the collection. “The mundu comes in different colour combinations and is being styled across genders, actually”.
Also drawing attention is L’Zaba’s Kochi print shirt, featuring tiny illustrations inspired by the city — from Marine Drive and the Synagogue to Lulu Mall and other familiar landmarks.
Hair bun with a floral twist
For those looking to move beyond the ‘mullapoo’ look this Onam, Ornamint offers an alternative — decorative hair accessories that can transform even a simple hairstyle into a statement.
Launched in February 2025 by Rosmy Joseph, Ornamint began with hair accessories and has since expanded into earrings, neck cuffs, necklaces, bracelets and other jewellery. Hair accessories, however, remain the hero. The collection features floral, pearl, kundan and sculptural designs.
“The pieces are made using brass and stainless steel plated with 18-karat gold, and we opt for a slightly heavier construction than conventional imitation jewellery. The designs are manufactured by artisans in Rajasthan, and combine traditional craftsmanship with contemporary forms,” says Rosmy.
Among the bestselling hair accessories are the Bloom Vault — adorned with pearls, it can be worn with these Onam attires. Other options include flower-shaped buns and more.