NakhreWaali is bringing sexy back Bollywood style

There is nothing understated about the New-Delhi based brand NakhreWaali. In fact, its 25-year-old designer is taking on established sartorial styles and making it her own by adding an element of quirk: like her range of statement earrings for example, that almost resemble wall hangings. A pop artist of sorts, Gursakhi Lugani went from getting noticed by Pernia Qureshi at a fashion week for wearing a tea bag necklace and launching her accessory brand in 2016 to unveiling her first apparel collection online last week. Using symbols from mainstream Bollywood, think Katrina Kaif in Sheila ki Jawani and Hema Malini in Dream Girl, in her wedding blouse collection, the statement line Lights Camera Nakhra attempts to connect with the rebel in all of us. “There’s always a negative connotation attached to the word Nakhra (drama). But these are characteristics that make us inherently us and this drives our design aesthetic.”

Sassy and she knows it
A fashion marketing graduate from the London College of Fashion, Gursakhi’s collection is an extension of the first ever blouse she designed for herself and to this day is one of the most pinned backless blouse images on Pinterest, we learn. ”It is quite an embarrassing story, to be honest. It was a blouse that I designed for a wedding that I had to attend and as soon as I put it up on my Instagram page, the picture went viral. Even today, if you look for sassy backless blouse designs, this picture pops up,” she says with a laugh. Boho-tribal inspired, all her designs make use of embroidery that features Aztec motifs and patterns like fish and elephants. “We have only used thread work in the collection. Surface design includes a plethora of patterning from spider stitches, to African beading to Mukaish work, mirror work and leather embellishments.” One can also expect to find the brand’s signature tassels and pompoms throughout the collection. 

Colour coded
Known to bring a vibrant colour palette in her previous accessory collections, the designer has made use of blue, black, green and ivory ecru on a range of cotton, silk and raw silk fabrics. Diversifying the apparel range, NakhreWaali will be introducing a casual one-liner tee shirt range within the month. 

Rs 4,500 upwards.