It is that time of the year when women plan their holiday outfits with frenzied excitement while fashion and jewelry designers launch special collections to cater to the massive demand. When you talk about holiday fashion, you can’t ignore contributions by one of India’s successful fashion designer and businesswoman— Sunita Nagi.
Sunita grew up in a conservative family, but her mother’s creative talents inspired her and her parents encouraged her to pursue her skills. She joined SNDT college, one of India’s leading fashion institutes, where she later served as a visiting faculty member. Under the tutelage of prominent fashion gurus such as Hemant Trivedi, Wendell Rodricks, and Neeta Lulla, Sunita developed a strong foundation for a successful career in fashion design and was named “Smart Business Woman” by CNBC.
Sunita wears many hats—entrepreneur, designer, wife and mother—and she juggles all these roles with support from her husband and family to emerge into the spotlight as an acclaimed fashion designer making waves on both Indian and international shores. “My husband and his family encouraged me to pursue a career, as they did not want my talent to go wasted. There was a period of hibernation when I had two lovely kids and I was giving my 100% into their upbringing. I restarted my work with full force once my kids finished their schooling,” explains Sunita.
Today, Sunita’s clientele include socialites and actresses from the Bollywood industry, and other high profile clients from all over India, Dubai, New York, London, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Singapore, Jakarta, Nairobi, and South Africa. Apart from regular exhibitions around the world, she also retails her creation from 17 outlets in India and in Dubai.
Sunita’s specialty is Indo-fusion wear with an emphasis on embellishments and silhouettes. She is also known for cross stitch embroidered designs and her dedication to creating outfits in line with her client’s persona. “I always follow the mantra ‘dress shabbily and they remember the dress, dress impeccably and they remember the woman.’ Today, fashion is an instant language and how you present yourself to the world speaks volumes about you and your personality,” reiterates Sunita.
Just like all families in India, Sunita will celebrate the holidays with a lot of excitement, many late-night parties, and social gatherings with friends and family where the latest fashion trends will be discussed, flaunted and admired.
To help you plan your outfits, here are the latest fashion trends for this season, according to Sunita Nagi:
Bright Colors or go Pastel
Bright colors like yellow, maroon, and shades of blues are most popular while pastel shades like baby pink, powder blue, lemon yellow, mint green have emerged as new favorites with the fashionista bride and in the Pret collection. Sunita suggests, “Choose outfits with two or more festive colors like a combination of orange and yellow or blue and green that will make you stand out in a crowd.” For a bit of shine, dress in gold or silver, delicate embroidery.
Fabrics Rich in Indian Heritage
Indian heritage-rich hand-looms and weaves are popular right now like raw silk, Tussar silk, khadi, and linen. “Expensive hand-woven fabrics, georgettes complemented by rich embroidery or sequin work add flavor to the festivity,” says Sunita.
Mix of Tradition and Modernity
Try pre-stitched dhoti sarees worn with crop tops, shararas and palazzo pants with kurtas—either short or long—or pair a fitted sequin crop top with a voluminous skirt embellished with embroidery. Sunita advises, “Pick outfits that you can live in and move about freely in for an entire day.”
Traditional Embroidery
“Just as with fabrics, designers are going back to the roots while picking embellishments for their outfits this season,” Sunita says. Patti work and Zari embroidery are making a big comeback and sharing space with the already popular sequin, Swarovski and Zardozi embroidery.
