Cool, contemporary with an effortlessly elegant core. That’s Nicobar that has “design for everyday living”. Raul Rai, co-founder, Nicobar, tells t2 what makes them so and what have they got to Calcutta’s The Loft for a month-long edit.
Welcome to Kolkata. What are you expecting?
Our previous two pop-ups have been some of the best we’ve ever had. This time we’re going big: we’re in Calcutta all month long at The Loft, Quest mall. The team is planning an exclusive edit of clothing, homeware, and fine jewellery which we think our Calcutta guests will love, really. Bengal inspired a whole collection last season — from its jamdanis to the easy charm of Ray’s world, the trifecta of intellect, elegance and wit. We’re looking forward to some fresh inspiration to take back with us.
What has been your experience of the Kolkata market?
Kolkata’s got great taste. Our guests loved the limited-edition collections along with our core products across clothing, jewellery, and homeware. May we say, dining and decor were a big hit. The topography of Kolkata is best suited for our everyday styles in organic cotton and lightweight fabrics. And after so much learning, we’re landing in Kolkata with a treasure trove of everything to love (and brag about).
What are your bestsellers here?
Bestsellers? Well, lots of them. Think beautiful handcrafted galaxy sari by Aparna Chandra, delicious knits from our latest winter capsule (in 50 per cent recycled plastic + 50 per cent wool), our first ever polo tees for men in five great colours, and alphabet charms for the soul. Plus, our favourite (and yours too!): ‘The’ Nico Dress returns. All my favourites will be here — T-shirts, kurtas, kulhars, candles, dinnerware!
What do you think of the space?
Modern, multidimensional, and right at the heart of the city — The Loft was a no-brainer for us. It’s well suited for Nicobar and we believe that our guests will enjoy the space as much as we do. It’s the best mall in Kolkata and I admire the team’s vision for the evolution of the mall.
Nicobar completes five years this year. How has the journey been?
It’s been a fabulous five years. From an external perspective, we are absolutely humbled and grateful for the brand love shown by our guests. What keeps me going is just the appreciation and constructive criticism we receive from our guest. From an internal perspective, I have grown as a person because Nicobar gave me a platform that required me to care for our teams and guests. I feel blessed that so many lovely people joined our teams.
What is your target clientele?
Our guests are well-travelled and global in their outlook. They are at a stage of their life where they are driven more by their own sense of style vs trends. They care about where products come from and how they are made. They are making more conscious choices. They tend to be quite creative and often have hobbies ranging from yoga to travel, from cooking to gardening. We have products starting at Rs 600 like our mugs. In fact, alphabet mugs are my favourite gift.
What has been the learnings?
Be curious, open and non-judgmental. So many people have helped shape this journey — being a listener has helped more than being a speaker. Not a learning so much, as an endorsement — using technology we can work from anywhere. Execution is great over Zoom or Teams or Hangouts. However, brainstorming, ideation and developing relationships require in-person meetings.
How have your personal tastes seeped into the curation?
Ha ha! The little secret is that I am allowed to make a lot of decisions at Nicobar but not around design. That is the realm of my wife and creative director, Simran, as well as our design team of Aparna Chandra, Rajiv Purohit, Arya Nerker and Divya Kapoor.
More about it
Nicobar founders Raul Rai and Simran Lal
What: Nicobar @The Loft
Where: Quest, 33, Syed Amir Ali Avenue
When: On till January 15
Timings: 11am-9pm
