As London-born Nikhil Thampi strides into The Deccan Story he’s greeted by racks of his designs displayed against the minimalist design of the store interiors.
Vibrant earthy toned fabrics are accentuated by light-catching embellishments, making each outfit uniquely different.
‘An overnight decision’
Having been in the industry for six years now, the self-proclaimed ‘Bombay Boy’ calls his gateway into design an “accidental and emotional decision.” He had been working in his father’s aviation business for two years and felt that as a creative being chained to a desk wasn’t satisfying him. “Simultaneously, a close friend of mine was showing at Fashion Week and she emotionally blackmailed me to join her. At the time, I thought ‘oh, not a bad idea, I’m on a holiday anyway,’ and one thing led to another and I finally fell in love with fashion. It was very much an overnight decision;
my instincts in fashion have always been very strong as well as my intuitions. There have been hits and misses but my choreography with design has really ascended.”
He confesses he has no real technical knowledge of design given that he studied psychology; this realm of study has propelled the psyche of his design and his target audience, “Every individual has their own weight of expression. So you’ll see those who wear my creations are bold, independent women who are inclined towards the classic yet statement. My woman is a walking contradiction,” pretty much solidifying that style is personality-driven, hence we see the likes of Kajol, Hrithik Roshan, Tamannah Bhatia and Kangana Ranaut rocking these creations.
Design IQ to show for
Past collections — all of which have generated heat on runways across India — such as ‘Alchemy,’ which melds mythological silhouettes with statement accents, and the more festive yet avant-garde demi-couture ‘Sylph’ reflect Nikhil’s inclination towards eye-catching jewel tones.
The collection at The Deccan Story is absolutely commercial, according to Nikhil. “As a designer, the runway is a venue where you can do something really crazy and fashion-forward and borderline non-wearable,” he starts, “But in a store, you have to understand the pulse of a city, what is missing and what will sell; I think Hyderabad as a city has a very glamorous touch to it but the modernity is lacking. So that’s where we come in; we got our tailored suits and jackets. Even the Indian-wear are not classical lehenga choli or anarkalis, it’s a take on it. When everyone is going super-heavy, we thought of going very minimal. A piece needs to be versatile every time.”
He adds that an investment in a Nikhil Thampi outfit is not about having a statement print or a bold colour, it’s about the silhouette. “We work more on fit,” he extols, adding, “The translation on the hanger is not that appealing, but upon trying it, it’s transformative. Psychologically, we do not produce 500 pieces per style, we do about 30 to 40. So if you have a Nikhil Thampi, we can assure you, you won’t be wearing the same thing as someone else at a party.”
Collection favourites
- In April 1857 the women's magazine ‘Corriere delle dame’ announced the arrival of the jacket (a shortened version of the morning coat with shorter jacket skirts), a style that would go on to become an essential item for both men's and women's wardrobes.
In his Spring Summer 2016 collection ‘Quantam’, a line of contemporary pieces from polyester-with-viscose blend textiles with metal strip accents, plays into Nikhil’s city-focussed showman’s instincts. He describes, “Metal has always played a very important part of my life— from obi belts to metal flowers to metal chips. Just as some people do 30 layers of embroidery, this is my form of that, but it’s lightweight, modern and minimal, but still very impactful. I cannot do bright colours; so jewel and earthy hues really work for Indian skin tones. Our outfits work for a lot of body types; we have success-rate till now shows that clients of every body type have been really happy with our garments.”
Those perusing the shelves at The Deccan Story can expect chic midi dresses with cut-out accents, long-cut jackets and black chip-embroidered gowns.
Less edgy, yet still statement, are the ethereal one-shouldered drape gowns made from crepe. Nikhil’s Indian garments are also in-house for those prepping to up their festive game.
Nikhil Thampi’s collections are at The Deccan Story, on Road Number 45, Jubilee Hills.
