UMA 

The Creative Line

The inspiration of the elements on your body, the fact that clothes aren't mere screens to cover the body but to reveal the person within. All this and more propelled her passion for infusing originality in feminine nightwear. Nightwear by Nandini which retails under the label Uma - Creative Line are a class apart, they are stuff which dreams are made of. In sensuous satins, georgettes, crepes - both pure and artificial, cotton, linen, twill georgette, Swiss georgette, Mafatlal cotton, camerin cotton, flex and many different kinds of fabrics.

After her graduation, Nandini pursued her Masters in Human Resource Management. With a keen interest in designing and an eye for colour, style and form, Nandini pursued her Fashion Designing and Merchandising (FDM) from NIFT. Since the time she was in class 12th her cousins admired her creations and that made her realize that she should enter this field. In her first year of graduation, Nandini worked at a boutique in Punjabi Bagh called B.K. Collections and then she worked with her dad for sometime.

Her break came when she worked with famous designer Aparna Chandra and helped her in the India Fashion week at Delhi. Says the 23 year old Nandini, "I got a real good exposure with Aparna, and a confidence to go ahead with this venture. I started my own line and now I am fully involved with my nightwear and this collection. The exhibition, which was put up at Ashoka, has been an eye opener and I got a good response from that. I basically do it from my house as its easier, and more on orders, but I make sure I keep some designs ready for the customers to choose from. In fact the owner of the boutique wanted me to take over her business as she was going abroad, but due to time constraints I was unable to do so. I am also managing the finance part of my dad's business. Working for Aparna was a great eye opener, she's been very sweet and encouraging. Sometimes she wasn't there the whole day and I looked after everything, from the clients to the workers and staff. Very elite and sophisticated crowd would come at Aparna's and they would boost my morale. I don't like people who are always complaining and throw around their attitude; that's the reason I am apprehensive to open a retail outlet."

Nandini believes in dedicated clients who appreciate and encourage upcoming talent. She believes in quality rather than the quantity of work. Getting more work and making a mess is not her style and she is happy with the kind of work she is doing. She feels that Nightwear is a very important part of a woman's life and everyone requires a comfortable outfit to sleep in. Also nightwear is a field in which a lot of experimentation can be done. Her product range includes night suits, nighties in varied fabrics, styles and colours and the price range is between Rs 300 to Rs 2000. Nandini feels that no one would spend more than this on nightwear and it's usually the newly weds or brides to be who spend more on nightwear. "Personally, when I went looking around for nightwear all I found was satin which you can't wear in our weather unless you have an air conditioner. I also believe that if you wear something uncomfortable to sleep, you can't sleep well. I do the designing, but I don't have a production unit. There are two people whom I know very well; they do it for me as and when I give them orders. I have all types of clients from girls who are around 16 to women in their 70s. The younger lot picks up satins and georgettes and cottons are a hit among the older clients, so I make them for all ages and for children it's only specifically on order. I make for women of all shapes and sizes. Nightwear is something, which every woman needs and for the next two years I would concentrate on this field. I don't believe in jack of all trades and master of none. I will open a store at Rajouri as it's one of the posh markets in West Delhi. I am catering to the upper elite who know the worth of good nightwear."

Nandini is planning to open her own retail outlet and diversify in menswear as well. She has a set of dedicated clients by word of mouth publicity and she also supplies to some stores in Jaipur, Calcutta and Delhi. She also wants to participate in the FDCI events in the near future once she has established herself. Uma is the name of Goddess Parvati and that's how the name came up after her grandmother suggested. Her future plans are to get into this field properly, make clothes, which are practical, comfortable and wearable. Her motto "To me fashion means creative thinking merging it with your attitude, with comfort and style".

Text and pics by Jyoti Narang