If you have been scrolling a little too much lately, you may have noticed people rediscovering a love for details — for speckled terrazzo flooring, intricately crafted metal grills, and ornate decorative doors. The shift is visible in fashion too, with chic early 2000s-inspired kurtis, boldly printed T-shirts, layered accessories, and shimmery makeup making a comeback. These trends together point to one thing: maximalism is back. However, for many creatives and designers in India, maximalism is more than just an aesthetic; it is a way of expressing identity, personality, and emotion more freely.
Textile designer Param Sahib, known for his vibrant use of colours comprising sunny yellows and neon greens to bright oranges and heavily brocaded outfits, says colours used maximally help him show his queer identity more genuinely. “I’ve always believed God is in the detail,” he says. “And that has been my motto, in clothes, my style and my brand.” To those hesitant about embracing maximalism or expressing themselves too boldly, Sahib has some advice: “Learn the art of ‘method to madness’ — and go have fun.”
Response to the sleek and the seamless
Content creator and design graduate Prachi Popat says maximalism is basically allowing people to “go all out with the things they love around them, whether it is jewellery, clothing, or their homes.” She believes its current revival is related to nostalgia. She points to the visual culture of the early 2000s — filled with bright clothing, flashy magazines, colourful interiors, and playful fashion — after years of muted minimalist aesthetics dominating design globally.
“In the last 10-15 years, everything became sleek and seamless,” she notes. “With white walls, minimal logos, and hidden lighting, there was this idea that good design had to look clean and neutral.” However, “now people want personality again”, embracing abundance and a sense of freedom without restraint.
She credits the pandemic for changing people’s perception of their homes. “During COVID-19, people were suddenly spending all their time indoors. They started personalising their spaces more, adding colours and little corners that reflected them.”
“When people wear colours they personally enjoy, it improves self-expression and confidence,” says clinical psychologist Dr Ashima Srivastava. “Fashion becomes part of identity.”
India was never minimal
While maximalism may have its roots in the 17th-century Baroque period of Europe, social anthropologist Sarover Zaidi says Indian homes have always reflected a similar sense of abundance in forms of life and living which is found in the way design functions in everyday life. In joint families, she explains, homes were shared by many people, leaving little room for emptiness and naturally filling the place with various household items over time.
“In the West, maximalism and minimalism are often treated as aesthetic choices,” she says. “But in India, it has always been a part of everyday living.”
Designers also argue that India has historically always embraced visual richness. Interior designer Raseel Gujral Ansal says maximalism is often misunderstood as clutter when it is actually about confidence and originality. “Maximalism is not about overloading a space,” she says. “It is about bold expression and fearless design.” Ansal adds that her brand, Casa Pop, focuses on colour, art, objects, and space in a way that feels authentic rather than trend-driven.
She says she doesn't create something and then tries to fit it into a category called maximalism. “I simply express myself,” Ansal adds, “and people later label it that way.” She also rejects the idea that expressive design has to be expensive. “Style is not about money,” she says. “Paint costs the same whether you use it boldly or safely.”
Interior designer Smitha Zachariah similarly believes Indian homes have long embraced colour, craft, texture, and ornamentation. “But over time, people moved towards cleaner and quieter spaces because life itself became overstimulating (with the rise of technology).”
At the same time, she believes there is now a growing effort among designers to preserve Indian crafts and handcrafted aesthetics by reintroducing them into modern homes and fashion, which could be one of the reasons, according to her, leading to the revival of maximalism.
The inspiration for Shabnam Gupta’s Peacock Life, which particularly offers a variety of maximalist furniture and decor, says, “what naturally drew us towards maximalism was India itself. We come from an inherently layered culture — in architecture, textiles, jewellery, food, festivals, craftsmanship and colour.”
According to Gupta, old Indian homes often developed character slowly over generations, with objects and memories accumulating over time. “At Peacock Life, maximalism is not about filling a space with ‘more’. It’s about curating meaning,” she says. “A vintage object next to contemporary art, handcrafted textiles beside sculptural lighting — that tension creates personality.”
Is maximalism sustainable?
One of the biggest criticisms of maximalism is that it encourages overconsumption. But many creatives argue that maximalism can also exist alongside sustainability and reuse.
Delhi-based Xitija runs Tukura Tukuri, a brand that creates fashion accessories, mixed-media artworks, and apparel using discarded materials, scrap objects, old fabrics, and thrifted finds. A maximalist herself, Xitija enjoys layering outfits and experimenting with colours. “I love pulling together things that would not go together,” she tells TMS. “There’s a kind of agency in dressing that way. The layers feel very protective.” Her approach to maximalism shows that the aesthetic does not have to rely on expensive, high-end luxury. Instead, it can be achieved through thoughtful curation, creativity, and design sensibility.
Popat also cautions against reducing maximalism to impulsive shopping in one of her videos. “You don’t have to buy a whole new aesthetic,” says Popat. “In India, we already have bold textiles, scarves, prints, and fabrics in our homes. You can just start experimenting with what you already own.”