Exclusive Interview With Nishka Lulla

Having graduated from SNDT College, Mumbai, Nishka Lulla went on to win the Creative Excellence Award for the Barbie all Doll'd up show at the Lakme Fashion Week 2009 where India's leading designers participated to design an outfit for Barbie for her 50th Anniversary. From then on, there was no looking back for this beautiful, vivacious, talented, young and self confessed pinkaholic (Read: twitter handle ) new age designer, who has kept the Indian fashion’s flag flying high.

Nishka’s eponymous labels, Nishka Lulla & Nisshk have already become a major fresh voice in the world of Indian fashion with a global appeal, reaching an exclusive celebrity clientele such as Sonam Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Sonakshi Sinha, Genelia D'souza, Kiran Rao, Evelyn Sharma, Sameera Reddy, Dia Mirza, Shruti Hasan, Sarah Jane Dias to name a few.

Apart from having been a design consultant for the fashion brand 'Provogue', Nishka has now designed an exclusive bed and bath range for the lifestyle brand ‘Portico’, her collection is available on Pernia’s pop up shop and she has also recently collaborated with ‘Stylista’, a soon to be launched and much anticipated mega online fashion platform. In this exclusive interview with Stylefluid Trendz, Nishka Lulla talks about creating her own individual identity, the message her label addresses, future plans and more.

Stylefluid Trendz: What are your poignant memories of fashion while growing up?

Nishka: While growing up for me, it has always been about fashion.  As a child, i tagged along with my mother, Neeta Lulla, for her work every day, whether it was her workshop or for shoots. It was then i developed the fascination for fashion and styling, sewing little Barbie doll dresses and little dhotis for Lord Krishna as a hobby, helped iron out creases on outfits while at shoots , started doodling little outfits in my notebooks and knew this is what i wanted to always do when i grew up.

"your designs are an honest extension of yourself and own personality and that’s how you keep it distinctive from others"

Stylefluid Trendz:After your graduation, you started working under Neeta Lulla, your mother and one of the most celebrated fashion/costume designers known for her excellence in the world of fashion and style.

Nishka: Yes, she has been a great guide and mentor and has been as tough on me at work as she is sweet as a mother. I first interned under her for two movies, Kisna and One Night with the King and later at her flagship store.

"Continuously evolving, consistently tapping into attributes such as comfort, flexibility and a certain nonchalance"  

Stylefluid Trendz: Was it challenging for you to create your own individual identity as a designer, especially with all the comparison and judgement that comes naturally being the daughter of a celebrity fashion designer?

Nishka: Yes it was, expectations are high and everybody thought i will be just like her, doing couture and bridal, but i believe , just like her, that your designs are an honest extension of yourself and own personality and that’s how you keep it distinctive from others. I have two labels now, Nishka Lulla (western prêt) and Nisshk (Indian prêt). Both have a bohemian feel with a Indian accent to them. 

"A woman who is as comfortable in the company of others as she is on her own - by herself"

Stylefluid Trendz: Your Boho-Chic-Traveller collection at the LFW Winter/Festive 2013, celebrated the spirit of Bohemian lifestyle and travel in a classic winter colour palette. Summer/Resort 2013 collection titled ‘Yarn’ stood out because of layering, fabric story, fluid silhouette, oversized pieces and definitely the hemline of the dresses. Hence we see a noticeable transition, however your fusion of style with comfort with an element of nonchalant elegance remained unchanged. What message are you addressing with your label?

Nishka: Continuously evolving, consistently tapping into attributes such as comfort, flexibility and a certain nonchalance that is associated with a confident person with an Indian heart. All i intend to do is present a flexible collection: a collection full of choices, where a woman can style herself according to her own personality and feel confident and comfortable in the company of other and herself.

Stylefluid Trendz: What's your most exciting part during the process of design conceptualisation and why?  How does inspiration come to you and translate into reality?

Nishka: Nishka Lulla, the label, gravitates towards a more raw and easy quality that draws its inspiration from everyday living and travel. It’s based on a bohemian traveller who imbibes her surroundings as her inspiration, so it is like a whole new story and concept of new feelings and experiences every time, therefore fun and exciting. The Indian accents are an evident detail as are the simple silhouettes.

Stylefluid Trendz: As a young designer, what is your view of the current Indian fashion industry and its influence in our day to day life?

Nishka: Fashion is part of every person’s life and style is a personal expression of each one of us. Designers nowadays are creating strong and commercial wearable style statements which are easy to wear and feel confident in, which, on wearing, each person can create their own style statement easily.

Stylefluid Trendz: What is your biggest design pet peeve?

Nishka: Overdose of bling

Stylefluid Trendz: Apart from designing you are also known for your styling. How would you describe your personal style? What would be your fashion tips for Indian women?

Nishka: Young, comfy, bohemian, vintage, edgy yet girly.

Dress according to your individual style and body type and what makes you feel comfortable.

Stylefluid Trendz: Who is the kind of woman you identify with for your yet to be presented Fall Winter 2013 collection at the Lakme Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2013?

Nishka: A woman who is as comfortable in the company of others as she is on her own - by herself. She is not dressing up to impress others. She is dressing up to add an honest dimension to her own self. 

Stylefluid Trendz: What are some of your future plans down the road?

Nishka: To build a more solid brand with lot more accessibility.

Stylefluid Trendz: What 5 words would describe you as a person?

Nishka:  Honest, girly, positive, stubborn, contended.

(Image Credit:Runway shots by Vogue,Sonam Kapoor by Filmfare Magazine, Sonakshi Sinha by Marie Claire, India)