Defining the Eternal Feminine Essence
When business met fashion, Shantanu & Nikhil was created. Masters of elegance and sophistication, Shantanu and Nikhil lead a label synonymous with luxury. Praised by the fashion world as a brand which consistently delivers eternal feminine essence, the appeal of their design aesthetic touches the realm of purity and classicism. Inspired and in turn exhilarating, they create for the strong, the beautiful, the avant-garde and the well-traveled sophisticate.
Enriched with a global fashion vision, Shantanu and Nikhil have taken their designs and created some of the most mesmerizing collections, by infusing an Indian sensibility into rich detailing that has appealed to many. The duo has dressed many famous individuals, from cricketers, to actors, to socialites, and style icons. From the adorned smallest detail to the grand collections, today the label is a style statement extraordinaire. According to Shantanu and Nikhil, “Design is a sensibility that has to be delicately played with to create a balance between the eyes and the mind. It is a feeling, a sensation that comes from within. Style to us is the body and it speaks to the expression that your mind has created to complete the body.”
Known primarily to use Indian quality with contemporary styling, this designer dream team broke through the fashion barriers. They released their first Indian menswear couture line in 1999 and since then, the pair released signature women’s collections, both diffusion and couture. The designer pair entered the world of high fashion, debuting a diffusion line at Indian Fashion Week in 2001.
The duo came together when Shantanu , who pursued an MBA in finance from Ohio State University, and Nikhil, a trained fashion designer from Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandise (FIDM), decided to pool their entrepreneurial and creative skills into business and fashion.
In 2003, they aggressively penetrated the fashion market with a chic high-street Western line that was in combination of a fine commercial sensibility and a genuine feel for fashion. According to Shantanu at the Chivas Regal Fashion Tour, “You have to nurture your brand just as you nurture your child, what you teach your child in the early ages shapes the child, and the same applies for your brand. You have to understand your work, you have to understand your design philosophy; first you form your brand, then the design.”
Obvious and superficial designs are concepts that are not part of Shantanu and Nikhil’s style vision. Their style surpasses the conventional norm by creating a unique design palette with delicate details and simple harmonies. The appeal of their style has been shown in both trade shows and couture collections in the country, which has attracted local and international buyers, as well as famous Bollywood personalities, such as Shilpa Shetty, who wore the stunning Shantanu & Nikhil green dress at last year’s International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards in Yorkshire, UK. “We always have our client in mind while designing, thereby making him/her our biggest style icon,” said the designers. “However, in this world of underlying glamour and glitz, one cannot ignore the celebrities from various walks of life that are the lead purveyors of our signature style.”
The audacious Shantanu and Nikhil were one of the first designers to venture into the business of redesigning an entire look for the Indian superstar Amitabh Bachchan, which is said, “to have taken gaming on Indian television by storm.” Their artistic and visually stunning designs are decorated with electric colours, rich and sensuous fabrics and silhouettes that complement the body. This look has become widely present in the world of celebrity with many Indian socialites and sports personalities, such as, Zaheer Khan, Irfan Pathan, Glen McGrath and Stephen Felming; and Bollywood Stars, including, Hritik Roshan, Saif Ali Khan, Kunal Kapoor, Sushmita Sen, and of course, Shilpa Shetty.
Their 2008 collection, Banaras Boulevard, as featured, symbolizes renewal and regeneration. The strong influence of this ancient city’s culture are compared and contrasted with the elements of natural fabrics and contemporary silhouettes that radiate a historic perspective in harmony with high fashion. The emphasis of this collection has mainly been on texture and the printing of various patterns on the fabric, which are predominantly off-whites and yellows, reflecting the visual impact of the city. The use of satin fabrics forms the thought of luxury and creates a mood of splendour. The silhouettes are semi-structured with a freedom of thought and expression that beats at the heart of Banaras.
BY: NASHILA VELJI/PUBLISHED FALL 2008 ISSUE
(PHOTOS COURTESY OF ANAND SETH)
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