She loves that kitsch allows her to “bend the rules” and she dislikes that “people think they can just slap five colours and think they are Andy Warhol!” Delhi-based Nida Mahmood tells t2 about her “insatiable and all-pervasive” love for kitsch, hours before presenting Bombay Bun Maska, her “ode to the irreverent youth of India”, at ITC Sonar on Saturday evening.

Art: I am first an artist and then a designer. Art is the most lucid expression I could ever have.

Style: It is more important to be stylish than to be fashionable. I believe in boho chic.

Fashion: A complete lifestyle because what you eat, what you drink, where you live... are all completely governed by fashion. Even the phone you speak on...

Street: It is fantastically laden with amazing experiences and influences as far as my work is concerned.

Do you take a walk down the streets of the places you visit?

I do that very often. I like to walk around a lot and travel around the world. I like to understand culture in the little nooks and corners because that is where the essence of any place comes out.

What would Calcutta kitsch be for you?

I have seen a lot of signboards on my ride from the airpot and I loved the typography. Interesting little banners torn off... those scratchy walls, little bit of paint chipping off and another coat of paint that you can see beneath it...

Do you associate Calcutta with a particular colour?

Hmm... Yellow comes to my mind for some reason. Maybe because there are so many beautiful, dusky women here and it is the colour that absolutely looks wonderful on dusky women.

How do you reinvent yourself when everyone seems to be doing kitsch?

I create original work. For instance, rooster is my muse this season. Who has thought of a rooster? Nobody else! It is an important element in my new collection inspired by dreams... the crazy, funny, mad, psychedelic stuff in your dreams.

What do you think of Bollywood kitsch?

A lot of films have done kitsch in a very predictable manner... big, fat polka dots and bell bottoms. I think it’s time to explore more. I think Akshay Kumar is very cool... quite quirky. I love the fact that he explores. And I love Amitabh Bachchan.

Was dressing Lady Gaga tough for F1 (last year in India)?

It was a cakewalk! Just before her F1 trip, I had done a fashion week where I had done a dress with 2,000 LED lights on it. I was thinking to myself that there is nobody else but Lady Gaga to wear this! And within a month or less, I got a call... she absolutely loved it! I got a call from the Red Chillies guys who were representing her in India.

NIDA MAHMOOD Resort wear with a kitsch twist. Or kitsch with a resort twist. Take it as you will but no taking away from the fact that Nida Mahmood has got what it takes to fun up fashion. Her girls wore flowers in their hair, and in the flowers were tiny light bulbs burning bright! The show opened with a line of yummy ombre shirts for men, followed by relaxed kaftans for women. The vibe was all bohemian — lots of crushed cotton skirts, flat embroidered shoes, tube dresses, maxis and more. The colour burst suddenly got a Bollywood twist with Sholay sounds mixed in the music and Gabbar tees. When the desi kitsch faces came on, you couldn’t help but notice the slight hangover from Manish Arora. But Nida quickly moved on with her printed saris that were bright and spunky, worn with tiny patchwork cholis, jeans and leggings. Showstopper Raima Sen loved every minute of her colourful appearance. “What Nida Mahmood gave me was interesting... very young and colourful,” she smiled her charming smile.

ASMITA MARWA It was all hippie chic for Asmita Marwa, the second designer on Saturday. Rose-tinted glasses, headbands on poker-straight hair, extended eyeliner, supersized polka dots, belly-baring blousons, peasant maxis, parallel pants... retro rocked the ramp. Her chiffons were easy and breezy, mixed a bit with batik and kalamkari, and lots of feather accents. Her menswear was as easy and as usual the standout of the evening was her styling. Asmita manages to mix it up really well.

RAGHAVENDRA RATHORE Fitted pants, rolled-up sleeves on a tailored shirt and a waistcoat dressed up with a scarf. Oh, and suede brogues — there’s something so hot about this combination. And when it’s crafted by the master of classicism, Raghavendra Rathore, the hotness quotient just skyrockets. RR sent out a frill-free range of clothes on the ramp for him and her, from his new lines Club J and Club Jodhpur. Kurtas and saris dominated the style show for the ladies. Lehngas were high on shine and shimmer. They had to or else how would one fit into the big fat Indian wedding! The saris were traditional with a dash of trendy. Sometimes they were all lace. And sometimes they were worn with jackets. More menswear came in the form of linen suits, bhangra-style kurtas and lungis, and of course the RR signature achkans and a single bandhgala. Showstopper Debi Dutta, now called Kyra Dutta (new name given by her mother), walked in an ornate ombre sari.

SHANTANU & NIKHIL Delhi brothers Shantanu and Nikhil Mehra came with a bridal line. The show opened with menswear — modern bandhgalas with coloured skinny pants. The womenswear was very romantic and dramatic with some heavy-duty embellishments. The peaches and pink saris with big bling bootis were unmistakably Delhi. Lots of lehngas, red-carpet gowns, more saris (some with a demi-demure pallu pinned on the hair) followed. Then came a line of the duo’s signature fit-and-flare tulle gowns, a big hit with the Bollywood bridage. The sex appeal was upped by barely-there backs and lacy fronts. The colour story ranged from a delicate champagne to strong tangerine, out-there emerald to raging red.

What comes to mind when we say:

Feminine: Drapes and interplay of various fabrics like softer nets, georgettes, brocades, raw silk. Chantilly lace, since it drapes beautifully on the body and merges easily with structured fabrics like brocade.

Sexy: A backless number! Sexy does not necessarily come from the hemline. Sleeveless, halter-necks... that’s how sexy we get. Neoclassic.

Red carpet: Our signature bridal gowns... anything to do with volume gowns.

Shantanu Mehra of Shantanu & Nikhil spoke to t2 before their turn on the ramp...

You do several exhibitions in Calcutta. Good to see you here...
Calcutta is a very emotional place for us. We have done many weddings in Calcutta in the last couple of seasons. A lot of people from here travel to Delhi and we hope to open a store here. Maybe in 2013...

What do you think of the Calcutta bride?
Our bride has always been contemporary. Even some of our wedding wear has a strong cocktail flavour. And Calcutta is absolutely ready for that. The brides here have become more experimental, they understand that we focus on strong silhouettes that are feminine yet structured.

Recount a bridezilla (a bride who gave the designer duo a tough time) moment for us...
It was a wedding where we had to dress the bride for two functions in 15 days. One of the pieces was bespoke and brand new. The bride had seen no swatch, no sample... just a sketch and when she saw the piece, she was a little shocked! Finally, she picked something off the racks. (Laughs)

Which is the most romantic bridal piece from your label?
It was from Perfume, our collection for Delhi Couture Week, an empire-line net garment with vintage Mughal embroidery. It was just 200 metres of flowing net, clinched by embroidery. Each time a bride has worn that, she has felt like a princess.

The most beautiful bride you’ve dressed...
I think Genelia (D’Souza) looked extremely feminine in her church wedding that we did. It was sheer white and it had a veil... again volumes and volumes of fabric. We, in fact, draped metres of fabrics on her and created that silhouette. It took us less than 45 minutes and at the end of it all she said, ‘This is it!’

Which Bolly girl would you like to dress next?
Bollywood actresses don’t get married these days na?! I think Katrina Kaif would look really nice. She is demure and extremely feminine. I would definitely give her a gown. I know that Deepika (Padukone) would look a hot bride. She could be goth, feminine, ultra hot or sexy... she would make for a versatile bride.

Saionee Chakraborty
Pictures by Rashbehari Das