Falguni and Shane Peacock have made an indelible mark in the Indian couture industry with their larger-than-life designs and showstopper ensembles that make headlines. Having also dressed Hollywood icons like Paris Hilton, Rihanna and The Newsroom actor Olivia Munn, their couture and bridal collections often stand out for bridging that gap between fantasy and wearable fashion. Their first offering at Nykaa Fashion Luxe is a line of classic kurta sets adorned with their signature embroidery that are perfect for intimate celebrations.
Behind the scenes, the Mumbai-based designer duo has been working throughout the pandemic, while figuring the perfect work-life balance for themselves. So, we caught up with them to know more about their creative routine, drastically different work schedules, shifting consumer trends in response to the pandemic, and also get a glimpse of what they’re working on next for Nykaa Fashion.
How did the lockdown impact your creative process?
The [last] lockdown was quite eventful for us—we got a lot of work done. But this year, we thought we would take it a little easier. So, we were spending time with our family at a farm house for over a month. While we were also working from there, it was a different experience of creating and spending time with loved ones.
In the second wave, we realised that even though we were home, we hardly spent time with our families, so we realised that we need to make a conscious effort to spend more time, not just with our families, our dogs too, and change our style of working.
How was it like to take a step back from your business and hectic work schedules of the pre-pandemic world?
I think now we’ve opened up to different ways of working. Initially, our lives were so hectic and we never had time for anything. This time, we’re consciously making time for everything that we need to do, whether it’s design, meeting people, or even making a call and talking to a friend. We’ve been really conscious about that and have been making space for everything smoothly.
While we do miss our physical shows and all the action that goes into our work, I think we will be back very soon on that front as well.
Tell us about the collection at Nykaa Fashion Luxe. What was the thought behind it?
For our collection on Nykaa Fashion, we decided to do kurtas that are easy, relaxed, wearable and couture-like at the same time. These kurtas are also the kind of pieces that you can fish out from your closet many years from now and still feel great in them.
Now that we’re adapting to the idea of conscious living, people want to buy fewer things, but something that they value, I think the kurta fits perfectly into that idea.
In terms of your upcoming collections, do you think there is a shift in themes in response to the pandemic?
I believe that couture has gone ten notches higher because now everyone wants something special for their wedding. As the occasions are getting smaller now, the budgets people set for their outfits are becoming bigger in most cases. Brides and grooms want something elaborate and one-of-a-kind. They don’t just want anything off the rack—they want something bespoke with a special touch. I think that’s great for us in terms of creativity, it makes the canvas more exciting to work on.
With customers coming with special requests for their weddings, do you think the wedding landscape might return to where it was earlier?
People have already started prepping for December weddings which are full-fledged weddings. Hopefully, if everything goes fine, we will be back on our feet soon. While for weddings before December, people are mindful of what they want in terms of their clothes, but with winter weddings people are excited to go all out.
Do you see yourself expanding your kurta collection on Nykaa Fashion?
We’re already working on a relatively wider collection with more affordable pieces and between mix-and-match, we’re also planning to launch our athleisure collection on Nykaa Fashion. With a trend that’s really easy to wear and practically in every person’s wardrobe, unveiling a collection in line with the athleisure trend soon.
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