“The fashion is cyclical. It wanes and then reappears” says Fashion Designer Nikhil Mehra

“The fashion is cyclical. It wanes and then reappears” says Fashion Designer Nikhil Mehra

Delhi: Today’s special session of Tete-a-tea was held in person, thanks to the initiative of the Prabha Khaitan Foundation and the longtime host Advaita Kala. Tete-a-tea is one of the events in the Foundation’s “In Conversation” series, which is focused on culture and heritage. Through this programme, viewers get the fantastic chance to interact with notable people and take part in thought-provoking discussions.

Nikhil Mehra, a distinguished figure in the fashion industry, was today’s distinguished guest. The event took place at The Opal, The Connaught in New Delhi starting at 5 pm in the evening. The Connaught IHCL SELEQTIONS, Advaita Kala’s Kahalli, and the Ehsaas Women of Delhi are supporting today’s event. A special mention to Ruhi Syal, and Vinti Kathuria of Ehsaas Women of PKF. As a CSR endeavor, Shree Cement Limited generously sponsors today’s event.

In conversation were two pioneers of their respective industries. We had our host, a globally famed Shantanu and Nikhil Indian Couture label and conversationalist Advaita Kala in conversation with Nikhil Mehra, a renowned top-notch fashion designer. The brand that Nikhil represents is a trendsetter, breaking through the mindset of orthodox Men’s Fashion. The two engaged in a warm conversation over The Indian Aesthetic in front of a totally engrossed audience.

The fun banter between the two started with Nikhil highlighting his journey from college to the industry and how everything happened. The discussion then shifted to Men’s Fashion and how aptly Nikhil and Shantanu, the brand upholds it.

About their entry in this particular segment, we heard Nikhil saying, “I was surprised to see how men only went to Fab India or other global retailers to buy clothes. They were generally accompanied by a female who decided for them. They were comfortable in being dependent on women when it came to clothing. This brought me to look at the feminine side to the man who otherwise dominated the sanctuary outside. We then thought that it was a good market to explore and experiment with. I thought that that particular generation of men not caring about clothes was to time out and taking place was one who wanted to look good. Men who wanted to take care of themselves. I guess it was good timing for us to enter that particular market.”

Another fun anecdote from the conversation included him reminiscing about a time when in college a teacher of his saw his hands and said that these hands are for draping. Nikhil recalled the incident and said, “It felt like a coach telling his student to do what would suit him the best”. The chat further channeled into Bollywood fashion and Nikhil commenting about the style statements of various stars. He felt that all celebrities fashion according to their personalities. We heard him mentioning Bachan’s fashion as an elegant and timeless classic and Ranveer Singh’s with a tinge of craziness. He specifically mentioned Jackie Shroff and his commendable fashion statement and applauded the new lot of Babil Khan, Vijay Verma, and Ishan Khatter.

Another important thing to note is that the brand’s designs are hugely inspired by the army. It has to do with a personal connection with Nikhil. The fashion brand evokes a sense of pride and fight in its collection.

The event was fun to witness and the audience participated with questions and answers. The event winded off by 7 pm. The environment was warm and ambivalent and the conversation was too good to enjoy over a cup of tea.