Fashion Talk
Divvya and Nidhhi Gambhir
Walnut
Commercials are not creatively satisfying
Divvya and Nidhhi Gambhir started their career with the launch of their label Walnut. The brand runs into prêt, diffusion and couture. In an interview with Fibre2Fashion, the designer duo talk about styling for films, the latest trends and Naked, their new footwear company.
Fibre2Fashion : What is the story behind calling your label Walnut?
Divvya and Nidhhi Gambhir:
We didn't want to go by our name. We wanted our brand to have its own identity with its name. We love the complexity and depth of walnut in literal form, and that is what we as a brand are all about.
Fibre2Fashion : What ethos of Walnut remain constant in all your collections each year?
Divvya and Nidhhi Gambhir:
Our sense of understanding and creation of textures that we love creating, and our own theme-based prints remain constant. And most importantly, the supreme quality of workmanship is something that has been constant.
Fibre2Fashion : How have fashion weeks in India evolved? What are your views on the new age designers in the country?
Divvya and Nidhhi Gambhir:
Fashion weeks have evolved with each season. There is more accessibility to international buyers and with various other fashion weeks, besides the ones organized by Lakme and Amazon, designers can now showcase their products in more platforms. New designers, each distinct, join every season and they are a powerhouse of talent. It's great to see so much of good work happening around.
Fibre2Fashion : What kind of research goes into styling for films? Please tell us about your latest and future projects.
Divvya and Nidhhi Gambhir:
We love to work on feature films that offer us the scope to design, rather than style. The research varies from one film to another. For example, for a film like Daddy, released on September 8, we spent a year and a half only on research. Next is Fukrey Returns, the sequel to Fukrey, from Excel Entertainment. Anup Singh-directed The Songs of Scorpion starring Irrfan Khan, Waheeda Rehman and Iranian actress Golshifteh Farahani is an international production that premiered at Locarno Film festival and will now feature at the London Film Festival in October and other festivals across the globe before its release in India. Future projects include Happy Bhaag Jayegi Returns (tentative title), sequel to the 2015 movie Happy Bhaag Jayegi, starring Sonakshi Sinha.
Fibre2Fashion : What are the challenges in designing for films, TV and commercials?
Divvya and Nidhhi Gambhir:
All these three mediums come with their own challenges. Films are mostly character-driven; the actors need not look good, they need to look like the character they play.
Our only experience of designing for a TV series was 24 season-I with Anil Kapoor, which was more treated like a feature film. Television, in general, is overstressed and we don't like to indulge in a space where creativity doesn't get the due time to express itself.
Commercials are fast-paced, mostly repetitive and not always creatively satisfying. Advertisements are very aspirational; they offer hope and the feel-good factor and need to be good looking. Most of the advertisements don't have space for design as these are more about styling.
Fibre2Fashion : What are the five major trends to watch out for Autumn-Winter 2017?
Divvya and Nidhhi Gambhir:
Red is the colour of Fall 2017. You will see vintage-inspired looks, spark and shine everywhere, going back to basics for Autumn-Winter. The era of the 1970s with plaids will return in big way. You will also notice the hottest trends of 80s - the broad shoulders, oversized blazers, wide belts -returning in the right proportion.
Fibre2Fashion : Which developing countries in Asia are turning extremely fashion conscious?
Divvya and Nidhhi Gambhir:
China is becoming extremely fashion forward.
Fibre2Fashion : Do you export? If yes, where and in what categories, and to which stores?
Divvya and Nidhhi Gambhir:
Our current focus is designing for films and our upcoming online shoe design company, The Naked Shoe Co. We had been supplying to stores across India and abroad to Dubai, Riyadh and the United Kingdom through Wills India (Now Amazon) Fashion Week.
Fibre2Fashion : Public relations is a critical component of selling well. What are your comments on this?
Divvya and Nidhhi Gambhir:
Public relations is a necessity. If your product is best in the market but it doesn't reach the audience or buyer, it cannot succeed. Public relations helps you reach out to your right audience and build your market value by placing you well.
Fibre2Fashion : What are the challenges of going prêt and reaching out to masses?
Divvya and Nidhhi Gambhir:
Today's buyer is widely-travelled, knowledgeable and cautious of what he buys. In prêt, the challenges include being extremely ahead of retail fashion with the best quality at competitive prices.
Fibre2Fashion : Which is a better revenue generator for designers - online or in-store?
Divvya and Nidhhi Gambhir:
In case of prêt, it is online as it reaches a wider audience. But with couture, it is in-store.(HO)