The pressure of making it to the season’s big style stories is immense for every designer. Few make the cut with ease. Kolkata-based Nupur Kanoi is one of them. The Travelling Trunk, her new collection, features a dozen challenging looks executed with self-confidence. With form-defining jumpsuits, anti-fit sack dresses, concept saris, dhotis and wraps, the designer, a favourite with many Bollywood stars, writes a new chapter in her playbook.
Here’s what Kanoi has to say about her new collection, her eclectic influences and a decade in fashion.
The Travelling Trunk indicates a sense of journey. How do your creations reflect that?
The collection is for a discerning, fashion-educated client, who is not only well-travelled, but also understands the right balance between classic and experimental. The silhouettes are relaxed, lounge-perfect and easy to wear. They work well for the day, evening and for destination weddings. The fabrics are luxurious – summer satin and summer silk, crumpled cotton and silk.
Eclecticism runs through your oeuvre. Where do you pick up your references from?
I firmly believe that what makes or breaks a look is the choice of colour, followed by the cut and fall. Classic with a twist, for me, has always been the clincher. So, the references are things that catch my eye – could be from the streets or from my travels. I take a lot of pictures of things that inspire me.
You seem to have a fascination for certain crafts – Bandhni, for instance. They are recurring features in your collections...
I have a fascination for crafts from all over the world, so it is natural that they appear and reappear at different points. My roots are in Rajasthan. That explains my love for colour and craft.
As a designer, what are the things that occupy your mind space while putting together a collection?
Every collection has its own story, and its own method to fruition. That is what makes it a different experience every single time.
What are the highlights of the current line?
Interesting and bold placement dye techniques on tops, wrap dresses, skirts, dhotis and sack dresses. Traditional bandhni stoles can be used in a contemporary way to create easy, experimental drapes. The colours are completely offbeat, and so is the bandhni treatment, for which the inspiration is from African and Japanese tie-dye motifs.
Your background is unusual – you dropped out of CA and went to NIFT
I clearly remember that day… I was studying for my intermediate exams. I must have sat on my bed with my books for an entire day. When I stood up and looked back at the spot I was sitting on, it had sunken in. The hollowness of it all struck me! That day, I decided to give it up and do something creative with my hands. I knew I wasn’t made for a nine-to-five desk job.
As a stylist for Verve in your early years, what were the distinct touches you brought to your work?
As a stylist, I was exposed to the work of different designers. Being able to mix and match styles for shoots made my design sensibility flexible. I realised that it is not only what you wear, but also how you wear it, that makes a big difference.
When did the transition from stylist to designer happen?
After working as a stylist for two years, I knew I had to go back to my first love – designing. I do enjoy styling immensely though, it comes quite naturally to me.
Comparisons to Anamika Khanna seemed inevitable in your formative years. How did you shake off that tag and create an identity of your own?
Constant hard work. There is no substitute for that.
If there are two specific aesthetics that define your work, what would they be?
Contemporary and crafted.
How important is it for you to have an A-list of clients?
It’s definitely an added advantage and great for recognition. But good work is of most importance.
It’s been a decade since you entered the fashion world. How would you describe your journey so far?
It has been an interesting journey with surprising twists and turns. But there has always been something new around the corner. It has been an adventure so far. The goal is to keep growing. We will be launching our flagship store in Kolkata soon.
