Nitya Arora

Nitya Arora’s Valliyan has been a force to reckon with since its launch. From bejewelling Kim Kardashian West to Nicki Minaj, the Parsons graduate and her label have cemented their space in the world of fashion, with their bold jewellery for the new age consumers. Nitya began chasing her dreams when she was sixteen. She started interning and exploring a plethora of avenues while at school. She dabbled with interior design, jewellery, graphics and fashion before deciding to study fashion at Parsons in New York. She tells me, ‘After I applied and was waiting for the results, I was bored and just decided to experiment with a fashion jewellery line because I wanted to wear cool accessories but I couldn’t find them anywhere. So I made a collection and it looked decent so I took it to Bombay Electric, which was my favourite store at the time and the first of its kind concept store in the country. They loved it and started retailing it the next day. In ten days we were selling out so I was asked to make more and from there on the baby grew.’

That was just the beginning as she went onto further showcase at the Lakme Fashion Week in 2009 and bagged her very first Bollywood project, Aisha, with Sonam Kapoor. She adds, ‘It was a first for all of us. It's been 13 years and I've never looked back unless I'm telling this story.’ A constant at the Paris and Milan Fashion Week, she also works as a creative consultant for Verve Magazine and has directed for luxury giants like Louis Vuitton and Gucci. Talking about the process behind her creative pursuits, she swears she doesn’t have one. For Nitya, the urge to design is something that comes naturally, not something that one can consciously decide upon. Her muse finds her serendipitously. She lets her ideas flow naturally and only then acts on them. Nitya’s impressive resume now also boasts of modelling gigs for some of the leading labels in the country.

Her foray into modelling comes at a time when there is a desperate need for diversity in the industry. She elucidates, ‘It’s something I really enjoy. We are very influenced by the West and the rest of the world has just started embracing all body types, so it's going to take a while for India to catch up. Change starts slowly somewhere before it gains momentum and turns into a revolution, and tokenism is collateral damage. Last season was the first time one saw voluptuous women walking the ramp at international fashion weeks for brands like Fendi, Ferragamo, Versace, and most shocking of all, Chanel. I despise the term plus size, it sounds so clinical.’ She believes that when the status quo embraces change, it trickles down into smaller pockets and doesn’t seem so unachievable. Inclusivity may seem like the natural next step with so many powerful voices championing the cause, yet the complex system itself doesn’t enable change as easily. Nitya explains, ‘Agencies sign one curvy girl for every 50 skinny girls and that’s because there's just not enough work/demand from brands yet. But I'm hoping that will change once sample sizes change.’

In terms of her work and design, Nitya finds herself constantly fascinated by a fairly eclectic list of things, which in turn influence her work. From nature, space and aliens to architecture, she finds creative stimulation in all. Currently, as she’s working on further developing an organic and sustainable jewellery line that she created in 2019, she finds herself deeply influenced by the spiritual aspect of things. ‘It's very hard to do something new and my organic jewellery line is that original idea. It's completely hand made by fourth generation cane weavers with brass and bamboo, and is inspired by wicker furniture. It's one of my most significant lines yet and I'm very proud of it’, asserts the designer. 

With the fashion industry going through its own existential crisis, dealing with the heavy threat that excessive consumption imposes on the environment and with the need to constantly redefine sustainability in today’s day and age, Nitya has an interesting insight into the situation. She believes in taking responsibility and striking a mindful balance between the old and the new, the slow and the fast, the tradition and the technology, the craft and the profitability. She playfully adds, ‘The fashion of now should look like my wardrobe. It’s a mix of high street clothes from when I was in school and college, that I still wear, hand-me-downs from family and friends, thrift pieces, pieces that I've repaired and repurposed, things borrowed from my mom and dads cupboard, random finds from Jaipur, export surplus from Colaba Causeway and Sarojini, international brands bought on my travels, customised outfits from textiles I've collected over the years on my travels made by the family tailor and so on.’

The past year, with all its trials and tribulations brought along growth for the designer. She learnt to appreciate and credit herself for the business she has built. In comparison to a lot of other businesses, hers survived, owing to its sustainable model. On a parting note she tells me about the upcoming ventures, ‘A lot of exciting new projects and collaborations that were supposed to take off last year are finally happening now. One of them is a new leather accessories line in collaboration with Tiger Marron, which I am thrilled about. I did a Valliyan handbag line seven years ago but India wasn’t ready for it, hopefully we can kill it this year.’ 

 

Text Unnati Saini
Date 04-02-2021