Neeta Lulla is one of
the most popular and celebrated fashion designers in India. Neeta twirled into
the fashion designing world about two decades ago. She started her career as
the assistant choreographer of former choreographer Jeanne Naoraji n the late 1980s
before starting her career in costume designing. She came into the limelight
after bagging a National Film Award for designing ‘Roop Ki Rani’ Sridevi’s
costume in the 1990 blockbuster movie Lamhe.
Neeta won the National Film Award for Best Costume Design in 2009 and 2012 for Jodha Akbar and Balgandharava, respectively. Over the past
28 years, Neeta Lulla has worked for some of the finest Indian films and the
biggest stars in Indian cinema.
In conversation with Neeta Lulla...
As
an expert in fashion industry, what is your opinion in taking fashion designing
as a career?
I believe that fashion
designing is a great career especially because of the growing awareness in
fashion across all strata of income groups in our country. Fashion is segmented
into various avenues that need fashion experts today to cater to the needs of
the aware consumer and this profession is definitely going to grow multi-fold
in the coming years.
What
are the opportunities and hurdles before the youth in moulding a career in
fashion industry?
I think there are two
major hurdles that the youth face today. First, it is the technical expertise,
which will help channelise them into the right segment of fashion. Second, it
is the lack of corporate or financial backup.
When
we consider the Indian fashion Industry, what are the opportunities here for a fashion
designer?
Today, a fashion
designer has tremendous opportunities as opposed to when I first started. The
younger lot these days are really lucky as they are exposed to an environment
that shows diversity in cultures and dressing sensibilities.
Could
you mention the various branches that a youth can specialise in fashion
industry?
Today, there are so
many branches a student can choose to specialise in. Apart from designing,
there are a number of other career options that students can explore – like pattern
making, quality control, visual merchandising, marketing, illustration, styling,
fashion photography, and fashion journalism.
What
prevents the growth of the Indian fashion industry compared with the West?
Infrastructure backup
is missing in India. Also, I feel we lack the right experts with experience in
creative or backend support.
Could
you define the role of fashion weeks in career development of a designer?
I believe a fashion
week helps promote the business and gives an awareness of the creative
sensibilities of the designer.
What
is your opinion of the quality of fashion design education in India?
When I started out in
the fashion industry, there were limited options available within fashion
education in India, but today, the space is fast growing as more and more
students are opting for this field. It also gives me great pride that my School
of Fashion has begun and will train fashion aspirants to excel at the highest
levels.
What
are the qualities required for a good fashion designer?
I think that the
biggest quality that is required to be a good fashion designer is dedication.
One must be extremely dedicated to the profession, focused in life, have clear
goals and keen observation skills.
How
does an individual get started in the fashion industry?
Firstly, specialising
in one’s skills, then working with the right platform in that expertise. If you
are an entrepreneur, then it is working on a style identity from the first
collection that is launched to create a brand.
What
are your Top Ten tips for the aspiring fashion designers?
1. Focus on education
2. Read lots of books
3. Observe the fashion happenings
4. Research on fashion
5. View shows
6. Understand garment finishes
7. Understand colour sensibilities
8. Know your fabrics
9. Create your own style statement
10. Focus
on your goals
PC: Neeta Lulla
Article first appeared in the Education Insider magazine
No comments:
Post a Comment