Onnonyo

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Ononnyo is a digital archive and a curated e-commerce experience shaped around the discerning eye of collector and curator Mahua Sarkar Sen. The platform brings together a selection of vintage and antique collectibles like textiles, adornments, and curios, primarily drawn from Mahua’s personal collection, alongside new handcrafted objects sourced from artisans across India. Ononnyo doesn’t claim to revive traditions or operate looms, but instead serves as a careful custodian of legacy. Its approach emphasizes purity, rooted in upfront compensation and long-term support for artisans. The brand stands apart in its quiet commitment to sustainability, heritage, and deeply researched curation.

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Pomoco was tasked with building an identity and digital experience that felt like an extension of the archive itself. The brand’s logo was designed as a lens Mahua’s perspective framed in bold typographic forms across English and Bangla. The type treatment was inspired by the expressive lettering seen in Bangla and Hindi mid-century literary publications, infusing a sense of time and texture. The colour palette of kumkum, haldi, dark firoz, etc draws from regional materials and pigments, giving the brand an authentic physical feel.

The clothing tags also carried the brand’s logo as a circular cut-out, both a tactile design element and a symbolic (yet literal and tactile) lens through which Mahua’s curatorial gaze comes into view. These elements come together to build an identity that was grounded yet refined, cultural without being decorative.

The purpose of our creative direction and website design for Onnonyo translates Mahua Sarkar Sen’s passion for traditional artistry into a well-thought curation of handicrafts. The layout allows the products to shine, while the text offers contextual history and an authentic narrative behind every product. 

The website was conceptualized as a saree—structured in flowing sections that guide the visitor downward, ending in a footer designed as the pallu. The e-commerce experience is minimal, letting the images and stories take focus.

A unique feature is the inclusion of a knowledge directory, compiling Mahua’s field notes on motifs, embroidery forms, and craft practices from across India. Designed alphabetically, the archive serves both as reference and reading room. The website was custom-built on Shopify to ensure accessibility, responsiveness, and a seamless integration of content with commerce.