Mumbai, India
April 2020
This March of 2021, even as many fashion labels were scaling down and designers abstaining from Fashion Weeks altogether, Prreeti Jaiin Nainutia, under her label ‘Nirmooha’ participated in two key fashion weeks, the FDCIx Lakmè Fashion Week in India on the 20th March, 2021 and the international Arab Fashion Week in Dubai on 29th March, 2021. The Mumbai based fashion designer is making waves and poised to become the next big label out of India. She is an astute blend of creativity and business savvy. Her journey from a small town to international ramps is inspirational. Meher Castelino engaged with Prreeti Jaiin Nainutia, to get her views and find out her success mantra. She introduces the designer and label especially for the readers of The Luxury Chronicle
By Meher Castelino
The journey of designer Prreeti Jaiin Nainutia, and her label ‘Nirmooha’ is an inspiration. In the brief span of four years since its launch in 2017, the label ‘Nirmooha’ by designer Prreeti Jaiin has already participated in over ten fashion weeks spread all over India as well as in the Middle East. Over and above this, there are the humanitarian associations, when Nirmooha participated at The Confidential Walk for Acid Victim Survivors and the reality TV series – Mitti Ke Sitaare in Mumbai both powered by Divyaj Foundation. Apart from this ‘Nirmooha’ has also collaborated with the reality TV show called Super Model of The Year 2019 on MTV and Faesina Miss India Show 2018.
Prreeti Jaiin Nainutia is amongst the new breed of young talented designers who has quite successfully created a niche for her creations with great ease, in a highly competitive and over loaded Indian fashion scenario.
THE LATEST COLLECTION
Her latest collection “Caged Kaleidoscope” for the FDCI x Lakmé Fashion Week was an ornate mélange of embellishments and colours that ran riot on the ramp.
“The stressful times of lockdown made me realise the agony of the caged birds. Taking visual cues from this grilled reality and trip down the nostalgia path, we created this capsule of easy separates reminiscing of the wild 70s – retro spunk with a modern easy. The feather prints celebrate the vivacious spirit of the fluttering souls and the geometric abstract grid captures the giddy reality of trapped optimism. Abstract surface ornamentation, Linear cords and fluid beads are explored in dramatic formation to mimic the confused state of obstruction. This collection is indeed the most special for me as it is crafted out of love to salute all the things we used to take for granted and most importantly capturing the song of freedom, the caged birds and their chirping,” explains Prreeti about her collection.
EARLY FASHION AWAKENING
Prreeti’s fashion beginnings probably started in her childhood. Mother Madhur Jaiin and father Surendra Kumar Jaiin, an entrepreneur, along with Prreeti’s three siblings – Ritika, a successful business woman in Kanpur, Saurabh in charge of the family business empire in Meerut and Surbhi who runs a school in Delhi; had a minimalistic but enthralling childhood and upbringing in a small town Baraut, near Meerut. When most girls at 20 think of studying and starting a career, Prreeti married Parrag Jaiin Nainutia, an IAS officer and was blissfully happy nurturing three children. After much travelling in Maharashtra, the family settled in Mumbai nine years back.
But the fashion bug had always bitten Prreeti when she was a stylish youngster who disliked readymade clothes and preferred putting her wardrobe together. This obviously prompted her to acquire a diploma in Fashion Designing from Vidya Institute of Fashion Technology Meerut.
THE NIRMOOHA LABEL
Regarding Her ‘Nirmooha’ label, which originates from the Sanskrit language meaning free from illusion and undeluded like the lotus in her brand logo, the one who stays aloof from the worldly pleasures, Prreeti explains, “I believe in Karma philosophy and salvation is my ultimate goal. So, being in this physical world, I should be non-attached to it, like a lotus remains pure and beautiful, even while floating in dirty water.”
Inspirations for her collections seem to flow in quick succession show after show. “Everything around becomes an inspiration every day, which makes it easier to sum up our next theme. Anything that clicks the most with the current scenario becomes the very focal point of our theme. For instance it was the world lockdown for our last showcased collection, “Caged Kaleidoscope”.”
FAVOURITE FABRICS AND COLOURS
Each collection takes three to four months to present in her favourite fabrics that range from Crepe, Georgette, Metallic, HQ, Velvet to Suiting, Viscous, Net, Merino Suiting, Silk and Micro.
Colours and embroidery play a major role in her creations. “Depending upon the current market status quo and seasonal trends, the colour selection becomes easier with the Autumn/Summer picks. The pantone guide is a quicker spectrum to zero in on the shade and colour choices. Hand-embroidered embellishments are picked through a wide research of three – four months that is conducted at local Indian markets, where elements that are vegan in nature are preferred on priority with the help and preparation of mood, colour and theme boards.”
MARKETING AND RETAILING
Having learnt her business skills from her entrepreneurial father, Prreeti is quite market savvy as she reveals, “We sell through both the platforms i.e., online and offline through our studio at South Mumbai, India as well as elite Multi-designer stores across the nation like Ogaan, Fuel, Pernia’s Pop-up Shop, Aza to name a few and beyond Indian borders like Vesimi, Dubai and Lebs.com, Kuwait. We indeed have a structure and calendar to launch our collections through active social media calendars, via promotions and recurrent festive offers. We have a studio in South Mumbai in addition, we also retail through multi-designer platforms and exhibitions. Our Head quarter’s address is Nirmooha Fashion House Pvt Ltd. 5-A, 3rd Floor, Backbay View, Mama Parmanand Marg, Charni Road, Mumbai-04 India.”
Although much travelled with husband Parrag, Prreeti still managed to enter the highly competitive fashion business rather smoothly. “Holding a fashion degree with entrepreneurial skills helped me to step into the Indian fashion industry with my own set of ups and downs but fruitful collective results in an entirety owing to my determination and learning attitude. Sticking to the natural techniques and genuine methods of production, it becomes quite plain sailing on handling the competition; adapting comfortable services and policies to our customers’ needs, we automatically get on to the top of the lists of many. We derive our attention by focusing on products and services both.”
The pandemic affected Prreeti just like it did other designers in India and globally as she admits, “With a rapid sense of crushing older methods of business like offline selling, we are penetrating the online industry even more and creating brand awareness through social media thoroughly. This is keeping us intact across people’s choices both nationally and internationally.”
When it comes to tackling the piracy scourge, which is rampant thanks to the proliferation of social media platforms, Prreeti states, “We have our own set of data base that helps us carry records, with our own brand merchandise and sketches. Although, in this highly evolved and disruptive digital era, it is complicated to hamper piracy; our patrons and loyal clientele have an awareness of recognizing our designs and maintaining B2C brand legacy.”
As a designer Prreeti classifies her work as falling into the western, ethnic and fusion categories for her hand-embroidered separates priced between Rs 5,000 to 1.50 lakhs.
Quite an outdoor lover, Prreeti loves to spend her spare time travelling, trekking, listening to music, dancing and practicing yoga for relaxation that is when she is not admiring the works of Pierre Balmain and Manish Malhotra.
For More Visit : https://www.nirmooha.in/
