Down to business with Nishka Lulla

Growing up under the wings of National Award-winning designer Neeta Lulla can be quite daunting but 31-yr-old Nishka Lulla has her own celebrity clientele with the likes of Sonam Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Sonakshi Sinha and Diana Penty on the list. A regular on runways across the Indian fashion circuit, the designer was part of her first Fashion Talks for Lakmé  Fashion Week earlier this week as a young achiever in fashion alongside Nikhil Thampi.  We caught up with the designer to find out more about brand positioning, creative novelties on the runway and how it feels to be a fashion entrepreneur.

Excerpts from the interview:

What are the challenges while launching a design brand in India?

The most important one being the ability to understand your client. Understanding the tastes and preferences is a trial and error process. Designers also need to ensure the designs are wearable and commercially acceptable.  With growing competition within the industry, consumers have become extremely impatient owing to the prevalence of the ‘see now, buy now’ trend, resulting in quick production turn around and faster delivery.

Where do you think the Indian fashion industry is lacking?

The industry needs to evolve digitally. We need to collaborate with companies that are tech-savvy and allow us to be present on omni-channel platforms. 

How much does personal experience influence your creative process?

I believe that every designer is inspired by three things. The environment that you live in, places you travel and the people you surround yourself with. For me, most of my inspiration comes from my everyday travels and living. My collections have always been targeted towards providing consumers with everyday, practical wear. 

With Spring Summer 2018 coming up, what’s your prediction for the season?

Spring Summer 2018 is going to be a very colourful one. The trends so far are heavily inspired by the colours of the rainbow; hence you will notice a lot of outfits in strikingly bold, solid as well as shades. Stripes and gingham will also be in trend in the upcoming season.

Projects in the pipeline.

I will be launching my kids-wear line and will also be participating in the upcoming Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2018.