Creating Kaira

ISSUE: 143

What is your design philosophy?

NG: I pursued an undergraduate degree in Fashion Technology from National Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi. Being in a fashion school and studying amongst the top creative minds in the country gave me an insight into the glaring gap in the market in terms of block prints. My undergraduate degree helped me understand the construction and to an extent the design bit of things. This knowledge played an integral part in the creation and launch of Kaira by Nikita. One of my faculties also mentored me throughout the initial hiccups, for which I am so grateful.

How does your brand incorporate sustainability?

NG: We have a completely plastic-free and waste-free packaging at the moment. We also stand against dumping the defective pieces or pieces that do not pass the AQL into landfills to help not contribute to the carbon footprint. Instead, we recycle them into cotton masks. We’re trying to incorporate small practices that compound to bigger changes.

How does your cultural background affect the design language of your brand?

NG: More than my cultural background, I would say my love for block prints definitely affects the design language of Kaira. I have always been a lover of prints but more so dabu prints. Growing up, when I would see my mum wear a kurti in a lovely hand block printed fabric I would often wonder why modern silhouettes like dresses, wrap tops or shrugs were not available in the same fabric. In my marketing class at NIFT, I took this up as one of my research projects and decided I wanted to cater to this gap through Kaira by Nikita.

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