Neeta Lulla’s 40 years in the fashion

As Neeta Lulla sits on her career spanning four decades, I decide to speak to her about her journey. Mid interview, she pauses to apologise and tell me that her grandchildren had just arrived from school and there might be some commotion around the house. Then, later on during our call, when her grandchildren call out to her, she politely excuses herself from speaking as she welcomes them into her arms. There is an undoubted kindness and warmth to her that is difficult to miss.

From the outside, as all the avid ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ viewers would love to think, the people within the fashion industry can seem intimidating and sometimes rude. Neeta Lulla was anything but. At some point we touched upon the topic of ‘compassion’ and what that means to her in her line of work. It was evident from the way she articulated herself that such was her approach to her life and job. She deems compassion to be one of the most important qualities to harbour in a position like hers. Having completed 40 years in fashion this month – the milestone commemorated with a grand party at Torii – who am I to question this?

Beyond this, she speaks to me about what her journey has been and how she plans to take on the future. She touches upon her insights about the ever-evolving Indian garment business and offers some much-needed advice for young aspiring designers, looking to make it in a competitive market.

First off, congratulations! How does it feel completing 40 years in the industry?

It feels like I’m starting over! I feel energised, I feel a sense of happiness. I feel I am awaking the wonders of what’s going to be lying in front of me going forward. Any new projects, assignments or collections I’m going to work on. My mind is completely buzzing with what is the new evolve that the brand ‘Neeta Lulla’ is going to bring to the fashion scene.

May I ask what some of those things may be? Or what direction do you think you are going to go into?

Well, there is a burst of ideas that I’m toying with. Especially in the sector of heritage weaves, I am planning something that has got a very global advent to it. I’m working on five new film projects, I’m working on a brilliant musical that we’ve already begun the creatives for. We are also looking at a lot of synergies that we want to explore, that are going to come together, possibly stores, brand extensions. So, there is a lot of work on the table.

Any key experiences, or defining lessons that you have picked up over the years that stand out to you in your career?

You know, the key learning that I could point towards now after having been here 40 years, is the fact that there is a constant evolution that is happening, there is a constant movement, and one needs to stay abreast of that if one wants to survive in with the kind of work that we are doing. There is a perpetual competition we must partake in is one with ourselves and the work we have done. How you refine yourself, develop yourself and grow from your past work is key in this industry.

I would also say that the team you work with can completely shape your growth curve. A team that understands your vision and stays with you throughout, is the team that you must hold on to like a buoy. You are as much as your team can bring to the table, so it is important to treat them with a sense of compassion.

Compassion, I feel, is a very underrated approach to working in this field but it is also one of the most crucial. You usually hear qualities like dedication, hard work and talent that are deemed important in any kind of job, but compassion is barely spoken of. Whether it is compassion for your team which can result in the most beautiful works. Or compassion for your clients which can help you serve them better. For instance, you may have clients who are confused about what they what, approaching the project using your brand’s style doesn’t help all that much. Compassion allows you to see to it that you are able to gauge their style and aesthetic sensibilities while putting aside your own brand and approach is what keeps people coming back to you time and again.

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I was at your ‘40 years in Fashion’ event at Torii last week and I was pleasantly surprised at how many people had attended. Whether they were from the film or the fashion industry, I noticed a palpable kind of love and support, likely because of this compassion you speak of. 

I feel humbled, I feel touched that I have this kind of goodwill in these fields. Particularly in film, all these actors, when they initially begun their career, I was always there. For most of them I was even working on their debut films, so we have known each other for more than 12-13 years. They have become like family to me because after all this time, I understand their mindset! Designing for people gives you sense of their style, their vibe, as people and now I have an acute comprehension of their personalities. For whatever its worth, this support has been very touching. And of course, like you mentioned, this does have to do with approaching the people you work with, with the utmost compassion.

Yes, it all really comes together I suppose. In a way, your work ultimately becomes a labour of love.

Absolutely! I think this quality also keeps me receptive to the way the industry is evolving and changing, you know? Yes, I am able to build my own brand and voice, but I am simultaneously able to learn from everything around me. Life becomes series of teaching experiences!

That’s interesting. Having watched the industry evolve as you said, what changes have you noticed within the Indian fashion landscape?

See, the Indian landscape has gone through a diametrical shift. It has gone through a 360-degree shift. Predominantly because of the fact that the information that was not available to us earlier is now readily available, you know like they say “koot koot kar bhara hain”. In this context, it would mean a burst of information and knowledge. Where there used to be very few players in the fashion industry, now, we are seeing a lot of people who have taken the fashion business very seriously.

There were hardly any brands available earlier. Today you have international brands coming in to the country as well as new brands being created on the daily and it’s raining and pouring brands. And, most importantly, the world has woken up to India as a fashion-forward nation; a country that can offer so much creative talent, vision, weaves, fabrics, textures, embroideries. I’ve seen so many Indian designers at the red carpet or showing at global fashion weeks. So, the perception of India is completely changing!

You have always struck a balance between preserving heritage, through materials or techniques, and simultaneously sprinkling in a modern touch. How do you strike that balance?

I always wanted to keep Indian heritage alive through my pieces. I’ve seen so many young girls look at sari, maybe a kanjivaram, and say, “This is not for me, this is for my mother. It’s a very mummy sari.”

What I started doing as a designer was, using my own aesthetic sensibilities from the Edwardian era, using Indian fabrics and creating looks that were global and stylised in their form. That became my style identity. By the time ‘Devdas’ released, I received so many letters from girls to tell me that they have finally opened their mother’s and grandmother’s closets and taken out their saris to wear with a t-shirt or some other contemporary blouse. So many of them expressed gratitude for giving them this inspiration. So, suddenly, the mummy sari underwent a modernisation of sorts. And that is how I try to keep weaves alive.

Do you have a particularly memorable project you worked on where you have used traditional Indian techniques in your designs?

There was a collection I did using kalamkari which are essentially paintings done on fabric. It is typically done with natural dyes made from organic raw resources like mustard oil, cow dung, vegetables. What happens then is, the kalamkari fabrics begin to smell. The artisans who hand paint these are typically very old, and aging so it is a dying craft. I decided to incorporate kalamkari applique in a collection of gowns I was designing, and it seemed to work like a dream. I had that collection for almost four seasons, around two years. And again, kalamkari is one of those techniques that younger people may look at as a mummy thing, but this collection had a contemporary appeal because of the velvet and sheer fabrics I had used.

Trend cycles must be so intimidating for younger, aspiring designers. What advice do you have for people who want to enter into this world right now?

India is becoming a centre for some serious fashion business and we have become extremely fashion conscious. I would say, first and foremost, having a string foundation and educational background in fashion is crucial.

Then, once you are studying, finding your niche and sticking with it is a tough but helpful practice. Young people are so anxious about the competition in these industries, but I truly believe if each one of us just focusses on our own distinct voice and aesthetic sense, there is a place for everyone here. I have also been teaching fashion for the past 36 years and with every new batch of students, I meet budding minds whose creativity speaks a different language from me and my contemporaries. Despite the noise in the market, I can confidently maintain that there is space for them here.

Lastly, keeping our eyes and ears open to what other creative people are doing is something we must never lose even as we become established. I have completed 40 years in the industry and am still a sponge in; always prepared to learn from the people around me.

As you mentioned, every season a newness comes about, new trends come about. You can choose to be intimidated by it. Or you can choose to be open to it. I for one am ready to take on each of these cycles with wonder and amusement.

Like I said at the very beginning of our conversation: my journey has only just begun!