Off the Cuff

Fashion bioI did an evening course at NIFT in 1997, and then worked in my father8217;s export house. We designed for many international bra...

Fashion bio
I did an evening course at NIFT in 1997, and then worked in my father8217;s export house. We designed for many international brands like Giorgio Armani, Kenzo, Christian Lacroix and Zara. I launched my label three years ago. My LIFW debut was last year.

Retails at
Harrods, and lots of small boutiques across Europe. In India, through Be, Ensemble, Carma Delhi, Evoluzione Chennai, Bangalore, Espee Kolkata.

Claim to fame
Being called the new Sabyasachi. That8217;s good because I think he8217;s very talented and we8217;re similar in many ways.

After hours
I try out new restaurants, or just sit around my friends8217; homes talking rubbish.

LIFW preview
It8217;s very fresh this time8212;there are whites, ivories and bright yellows, all with a dipped-in-dirty-water look. There8217;s a lot of mixing of styles, colours and prints. They don8217;t make design sense, but look beautiful nevertheless.

Summer forecast
Colours that look as if they8217;ve been dipped in dirty water, broken mismatched prints, A-line, longer skirts.

Must have
It has to be the Varun Bahl shredded blouse. I shred them with my own hands talk about a personal touch.

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Worst thing you8217;ve heard about yourself
That I made it big because my father was an exporter and had a lot of money.

Junk this
Strappy tops.

Can8217;t do without
Chiffon. It8217;s a major raw material for me.

Wardrobe OTT
My printed yellow velvet shoes. I made them myself and everyone says they8217;re fabulous.

Fashion bio
I started 15 years ago at Ensemble in Mumbai. I studied ladies8217; tailoring at the American College of Fashion in London, and art history at the Royal College, London. I8217;ve never done menswear.

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Retails at
Ensemble Mumbai and Delhi, Scoop Miami, NY, Las Vegas, Mumbai Se Singapore, Tabla Hong Kong, Pure Heart Denmark and until recently Selfridges.

Claim to fame
The kurti? I introduced it five years ago.

After hours
I8217;m a mom. I have two sons, aged 9 and 7, and often take them for swimming lessons.

LIFW preview
It8217;s Lakme8217;s portrayal of an Indian summer, so it8217;s feminine with a lot of detailing. The colours are pinks, lilacs and beige, and it8217;s quite frosty with silver textures. But right now, it8217;s in bits and pieces in my head.

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Summer forecast
Washed out pastels with a hint of grey, fluid silhouettes no body-huggers and abstract florals

Must have
A white T-shirt.

Worst thing you8217;ve heard about yourself
Nothing recent. I tend to forget.

Junk this
Those long gypsy skirts, especially the white ones.

Can8217;t do without
A book on costume history that I bought from the Victoria and Albert Museum. I8217;m always using it as a point of reference.

Wardrobe OTT
The sexiest thing I have is a strappy bias-cut top that I made.

Namrata Sharma Zakaria