Why Nadine Dhody is Fashion’s Newest Find

Nadine Dhody is a part of a fashionable trinity that includes her mother Rita Dhody (who has been featured on our Best Dressed List) and her sister Aneesa Dhody Mehta.  “I knew growing up, that I would be in the fashion industry. But I was interested in many aspects of it. Eventually I found something I loved to do.” Nadine Dhody just launched her new eponymous label, which is all about comfortable festive wear, exactly the way she likes it. Just when we thought comfort doesn’t equal vanity, here is a brand that’s breaking the rules.

Verve enjoys a quick chat with the young designer…

Fashion is…  “An integral part of my life!”

The idea behind your label… “It is an all-occasion wear, so if you need a mini dress for your birthday, a maxi for a brunch, a gown for a cocktail or a lehenga to attend your friend’s wedding, you’ll find it in my collection. I don’t personally like to be weighed down in outfits, so my collection looks dressy but are all very light in weight and easy to wear!”

Your first design… “I designed a dress for a wedding function in Mauritius. It turned out beautifully. I used the wedding destination as my inspiration and created a sea green maxi gown with embroidery for a day party.”

Your first steps were… “When I graduated from my college in London and moved back, I attended a lot of weddings and then began making my own clothes for different occasions. I started creating outfits for my friends, and it just naturally progressed from there.”

Your support system… “My family including my two very cute little shih tzus!”

Your favourite style destinations… “London, New York City, Los Angeles.”

Best duty free airport… “Heathrow!”

Favourite Indian designers…  “Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla, Monisha Jaising, Falguni and Shane Peacock and Manish Malhotra.”

Favourite international designers… “Elie Saab, Ashi Studio, Balmain.”

3 fashion essentials… “Blue jeans, white shirt and So Kate pumps from Christian Louboutin.”

Most-memorable treasures… “Some heirlooms passed down from both my grandmothers to me.”

Your latest splurge… “A pair of shoes from YSL.”

You are currently obsessing over… “Everything Balmain!”

Upcoming projects… “I’m looking forward to branch out into more stores, and hopefully planning an exhibition in Delhi!”

Check out a glimpse of her collection here:

Nadine Dhody’s label NADINE is exclusively available at Bandra 190.