Colour Blast

Nishka Lulla on her latest collection for a high-street brand and her forthcoming Lakme Fashion Week line

Actor Athiya Shetty (third from left) with Nishka Lulla and other models DESIGNER Nishka Lulla is used to being called “that crop top girl”. In fact, that’s what her Instagram bio reads. The Mumbai-based designer, whose boho chic designs have earned her a young clientele, has now created a colourful line of separates for high street brand 109°F. And yes, there are crop tops galore. Here she talks about the collaboration and her own Summer/Resort 2016 line:
Your colour palette lately has been about pastels and muted shades. What brought on the bright hues?

The brand approached me to design a capsule collection that was everyday pret, but with an element of style. It was aimed towards a younger age group and had to be summer specific. We’ve used fuchsia, sunny bellow, bright blue and pristine white, inspired by nature.
What were the limitations while designing a collection for another brand?
We had to make a conscious effort to make it wearable. The inspiration for the brand comes from streetwear, so it had to be practical and comfortable. It’s a mix-and-match collection — crop tops, shirts, dresses, jackets and shorts. In a collaboration like this, the idea is to fuse your style with the brand’s sensibilities and reach a common point that caters to both your clients.
How have you retained your trademark look in this collection?
As usual, my inspiration comes from bohemian things — nature, flowers, dreamcatchers, feathers and arrows. I’ve used pretty prints and incorporated thread-work and mirror-work. I’ve also included natural fabrics like cotton and Liva that I generally use in all my collections. The silhouettes are fuss-free and feminine, in keeping with my style.
Tell us about your forthcoming Lakme Fashion Week collection?
My collections are always about the global nomad, but this time she is returning home from her travels, confident in all that she has explored and experienced. It’s primarily a spring-time collection with a vintage European aesthetic. There are lots of pretty poppy prints, flower pot prints and cube prints to suggest window sills, lazy afternoons and watching people walking by. The fabrics are mostly cotton, crepe, Hakoba and a textured denim and my colour palette spans ivory, blue, peach, strawberry pink, aqua green and yellow. The silhouettes are asymmetric and romantic, with wrap skirts, circular skirts, dungarees, crop tops, cold shoulder tops, palazzos and double-breasted jackets.
Written by Kimi Dangor |