Ace fashion designer Neeta Lulla, on her journey, Manikarnika and her relation with everything romantic and feminine
4 National awards and more than 300 films, is this the space you wanted to be in always?
Never! I am a school dropout and the only escape I had at that age was to get married. I got married in a family of doctors, who were of an opinion that I should either continue my studies or should get enrolled for some vocational course. And then clothing came as a saviour, but I was not aware that it was a proper professional course. Though I hardly attended any classes, somehow my creativity worked for me and I won ‘Best designer award’ for two consecutive years in the college. While I was studying fashion I was very much inclined towards choreography and was also one of the favourite students of Jeannie Naoroji and Hemant Trivedi whom I assisted in many shows. Then, someone in the family was making a movie and I was approached to do the garments and that resulted in form of ‘Tamacha’ and after that, there was no looking back.
You say you love everything romantic and feminine. From where all this comes to you?
As a student, I was very tomboyish, but when I started reading about the art of costuming and silhouettes I was very much inspired by the entire romantic Edwardian era. The magnanimity of colors, cuts, styles, and fabrics of the Renaissance era intrigued me a lot. And if you observe it is there in all my collections. While things have changed a lot in terms of the design process, but the soul of my work still lies with the Edwardian era and you will see a glimpse of it in every collection.
You had designed the very first magazine cover look for Sridevi. What kind of bond did you share with her?
As she had been always quoted as a ‘style diva’, I guess she even justified this when people hardly knew about fashion. She had always been a warm person on shooting set and even in general. She knew how to play with her looks and that is what made her stand out of the contemporaries of her time. With time I developed a very personal bond with her and that gave me the comfort to make iconic outfits for her.
You opened you Delhi flagship store in April this year. Was the delay planned?
Not exactly! I had been looking for space for years. Three years back I started working extensively on it, but then nothing materialized. And when I walked into DLF Emporio, I realized this is it. But again, at that time there was no vacant space. As soon as I got the space, I worked on it and here it is. And when Kangana agreed to grace the opening I was overwhelmed.
You are also part of Kangana’s upcoming release. Talk about the journey.
With time I have realized she is an actress who loves to be a part of every process and the same happened while working with her on Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi. When I meet her for the first time on the set and she felt confident in the outfit, it was like an ice-breaking session between her and my creativity. Moreover, I feel she is an actress with content. She knows what she is doing and where she has to go. At this stage of my life, I can relate with her and that has made me content with her beyond professional role too.
You had been academics for almost 26 years. How do you see the young designers?
There is a huge difference in terms of approach to work and the way these young minds function. I am not saying that they are completely going off the track, but yes to a large extent, they are. I don’t see the patience in the young lot. They are moving very fast without understanding the basics of fashion and I can see that on the ramp and at stores. They need to calm down, study a lot and then approach to be in stores and on the ramp.
Films or fashion weeks what allures you more and why.
(Laughs) I guess they both are poles apart. I agree they look similar to the audiences, but in reality, the thought process and work for these two industries function differently. So, comparing them is an injustice. I love both the spaces and that’s why I keep myself busy with both.
What is the best part of your profession that makes you happy?
The creative satisfaction is something that I can’t weave in words. The whole idea of conceptualizing a collection, the research work, the sourcing, the design development and then the final outfit, all this together as a process gives me an instant energy that drives me every day. Also, the best part of this profession is that I get to learn something new every day.
How far are you a social media addict? Do you keep a track of things happening in the industry?
I am a tech savvy to an extent I can manage and I need. I keep a constant check on my label’s Facebook and Instagram account to see how things are shaping, and at times, I study the virtual market to understand the market behaviour.
One thing that you don’t like about the fashion industry.
I really don’t understand why people are shallow about fashion as a subject. I agree that it is closely associated with the glamour world, but here it is also about a lot of literature, inspirations, and history. People need to look at fashion with more seriousness, and then they might relate to the intricacy and intellect side of it.
The post Country’s Couturier Ace fashion designer – Neeta Lulla appeared first on TMM.