Indian designer Nikhil Thampi released his Fall-Winter 2013-14 collection last august during Lakmé Fashion Week. Thampi proves that one does not need a formal fashion education to make it big in the fashion industry. His clientele includes the hottest actresses from Bollywood. This list includes young actresses like Sonam Kapoor, Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra.
His creations are modern takes on traditional, Indian silhouettes and contemporary designs. Nikhil Thampi is very innovative when it comes to his collections. He is not afraid to take risks. His young and edgy designs are highly in demand. He makes a real statement with his fourth collection; Fall-Winter 2013-14. In May 2013 the MET Costume Institute Gala, New York introduced us to the punk rock fashion trend and now Thampi introduces us to Indian punk. Thampi pays tribute to his southern roots by combining the punk element with contemporary styles and classic Indian silhouettes. Although slightly kitschy, I really love the motifs he has used for this collection. Nikhil Thampi has used the image of Kathakali dancers to represent Indian punk. Kathakali is a stylized classical Indian dance-drama which originates from Kerala, India. Dancers wear costumes, impressive head pieces and a lot of facial makeup/paint. Thampi recreated the faces of these dancers for the motifs (in gold and black).
His deconstructed Indian silhouettes comprise of an eclectic mix of semi-Indian styles such as cholis, boxy lehengas, short sarees and full-length kurtas. I like the mix of styles and the color palette used for this collection consisting of gold, black and white. The motifs are fun and add a punk edge to the designs. The overall look of this collection is quite alternative, which is refreshing as most Indian designers play it safe with sweet feminine looks. Thampi’s looks are very sexy, fierce and edgy, which is why it is no surprise he is popular amongst the younger generations. My favorite pieces from this collection are the long skirts combined with short, crop-tops. I automatically imagine myself wearing that look, going to a party and standing out from the crowd and loving every minute of it. Punk is about making a statement, being different from the majority and I feel a designer like Nikhil Thampi fits in that category. It is what makes him a designer to watch.
