Indian Maximalism: Why Glitter and God Posters Are More Than Just a Trend

From paan dabbas to Boroline tubes, India’s chaotic visual culture is no longer background noise—it’s the main aesthetic event. We decode why Gen Z is curating kitsch and turning everyday relics into the new objects of desire.

Vintage-style illustration celebrating the popular Indian street food, Pani Puri, featuring vibrant designs of crispy puris, tangy water, and street vendors.

What Is Indian Maximalism and Why Is It Trending in 2025?

Indian maximalism isn’t just an aesthetic—it’s a cultural inheritance. Whether it's temple calendars, sachet packets, god posters or shop signage. For decades, these were background noise. Today, they’re graphic inspiration.

According to Vogue India, the return of maximalism is more than 90s nostalgia: “It’s a desire to reconnect with visual memories that feel distinctly Indian—cluttered, celebratory, and deeply personal.”

Women engaged in traditional Indian cooking, preparing various festive snacks in a vibrant and colorful illustration.

Visual Codes of the Movement: Packaging, Print, and Paan Shops

The aesthetic cues of Indian maximalism include:

• Haldi yellow, sindoor red, bottle green, glossy black, and foil gold

• Fonts layered in Devanagari, Tamil, Urdu, and English

• Icons like Bollywood actors, gods, tigers, medicinal leaves, mangoes

• Laminated textures, sun-faded walls, over-embossed packaging

Redditors often echo this visual love letter in design forums:

“Chaabi, Kanchi, Chameli, and New Ship from when I was a child.”– a user in a nostalgic thread on r/india

These small, disposable items—matchboxes, soap wrappers, temple stickers—become touchstones of identity. They're not just packaging; they're memory architecture.

An intricate illustration inspired by childhood in the Khaleej, featuring detailed henna designs, traditional gold jewelry, and expressive eyes accentuated with kohl. A depiction of cultural richness and timeless beauty, with a decorative kohl bottle adding a touch of nostalgia.

Where You’re Seeing It: Brands, Creators, and Street Design

A vibrant portrait set against a floral backdrop, featuring an elegantly dressed woman adorned with traditional jewelry and a radiant halo design.

Maximalism isn’t confined to galleries. It’s alive in:

• NorBlack NorWhite and Jodi Life’s ornate visual storytelling

• Studio Kohl’s reinterpretation of religious iconography and signboard fonts

• Zine culture in Mumbai and Goa remixing motifs from paan dabbas and incense boxes

  
  

Even international brands are catching on. JW Anderson referenced “non-Western packaging” in 2023, while Paul Smith and Jacquemus have flirted with layered, kitschy collage work.

“I mostly picked it up because it looked different...”– shared a Reddit user, discussing why Indian products often stand out on global shelves.

It’s not coincidence. It’s instinctive design with emotional heft.

The Emotional Driver: Gen Z’s Cultural Memory

Regal Hearts: An artistic depiction of a King and Queen of hearts, adorned in rich traditional attire, capturing a timeless and romantic connection.

For Gen Z, maximalism isn’t retro—it’s recognition.

In her Medium essay, designer Roshnee Desai writes, “India has always held space for both ornament and austerity—temple carvings and ration labels, Bollywood posters and blank ration forms.”

Today’s young creatives aren’t making moodboards for virality. They’re building visual worlds out of lived experience.

The Class Conversation: Reclaiming Without Romanticising

For some, a paan packet or a turmeric-printed soap box is nostalgic. For others, it's everyday necessity.

“This packaging style is in line with many Indian sweets gift sets… It’s tried and true for this product,”– a Reddit user pointed out in a packaging design thread, highlighting how these visual systems function both practically and sentimentally.

There’s a fine line between curation and co-option and design means nothing if it forgets who it was originally made for.

What’s Next: From Kitsch to Spiritual Quietude

Vibrant collage encapsulating the essence of India, featuring traditional motifs, vivid colors, and a depiction of Lord Ganesha, inviting viewers to explore a land where culture, spirituality, and creativity intertwine.

As the aesthetic matures, maximalism may shift away from viral irony and toward rooted ritualism: Ayurvedic packaging, temple motifs, god print posters, and handblock maximalism.

It may not get quieter—but it may get more soulful.

It’s not ironic. It’s intentional.

It’s not throwback. It’s throughline.

From gold-foiled stickers to incense-wrapped labels, India’s visual chaos holds emotional truth. And Gen Z isn’t just inspired by it—they’re restoring it. Carefully. Loudly. Lovingly.