Stylist Neha Gandhi Binjrajka will raise a toast and pray on the night of December 4. Saturday will see her turn a designer with NGB. And, Neha still cannot believe it! “Work started in March and, post-lockdown, I resumed the process in mid-October and the collection came together in November. The entire family has been so encouraging,” said Neha, who picked her chachi’s birthday on December 5 as the launch date. Clean, classic and elegant defines the label with the aesthetics of Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe and Jacqueline Kennedy as inspirations. “I have tried everything myself,” smiled Neha. And, the super stylist will continue to style as she believes that aiding fellow designers is of paramount importance for healthy growth. We chatted with Neha.
Neha dressed Rukmini in a white ruffled dress in silk organza, for the first look. Upping the fresh quotient were the pink lips and blow-dried and wavy hair. “This is my favourite. The belt is form flattering,” said Neha. For Rukmini, this was quite a departure from her regular way of dressing. “I felt so pretty. It’s more my age. People don’t see that side of me often because I am conscious… I would have preferred to have been a couple of inches shorter to wear short dresses! (Laughs) My friends loved me in it,” said the Switzerland actress who also picked it as a perfect first-date outfit. “The only thing I am missing in the picture is a partner!” she laughed. Pabitra Das
Congratulations! Tell us about the name…
It’s very sweet and special to me because after getting married I wanted to change my surname and I thought if I ever start my label, I will call it Neha Binjrajka. I love the royal feeling that it conveys. My husband (Akash Binjrajka) was like ‘you have created a name as Neha Gandhi… so don’t let it go’. I realised how important it is and the label couldn’t be anything else but NGB. It represents something that I have actually built. Akash is a major driving force in my life.
NGB is like a culmination of your dream. You were emotional at the shoot…
I still can’t believe it is happening! While I was styling in Calcutta, I was aware that there are certain restrictions when it comes to growing. I am someone who is always looking to do the next thing. That is why I went to Italy for a course last year and I learnt designing there (Istituto Europeo di Design). I have four years of styling knowledge, which actually helps a lot. I had done my masters in fashion management before from NIFT, Calcutta.
My focus is on the fit and I give people outfits which suit their body type rather than make outfits and stuff people in them.
For the collection (La Estrella, means ‘star’ in Spanish), I thought of 17 women who have been part of my life… real women… and all the outfits are keeping them in mind.
And, everyone who knows me knows I am obsessed with stars. Staring at the night sky calms me down. Everyone who wears my outfits should feel like a star. We’ll be customising and are using the best of fabrics.
Originally meant to be a gown, Neha turned it into a dress, with Rukmini’s tips. “We thought it would look sexier… that Hawaiian vibe,” said Neha. The organza 3D flowers reflect Neha’s love for blooms. Make-up pro Prasenjit Biswas gave her side-parted hair and strong brown eyes. “This is a favourite. It’s got a sexy vibe to it, again quite different from the clothes that I generally wear. We have a word ‘bam’ among us. If it’s a look we love and cracked, we say ‘bam’. This was ‘bam’! And unexpected ‘bam’,” laughed Rukmini who would love to wear it for a party or to a beach. Pabitra Das
Styling or designing, what is your first love?
Designing. Since I was in school, I’ve wanted to be a fashion designer, but someone told me I needed to know how to draw. I have good imagination but I am not good at sketching. I stumbled into styling. I wasn’t happy doing BCom. That’s when I met someone who said one doesn’t need to know how to sketch for styling. I fell in love with styling but I have always wanted to have my own label. Now, my sketching is a lot better because I gave it a shot. They taught me really well in Italy.
Coming back to the collection, tell us about the significance of the colours you have chosen…
I have used four colours… red, black, white and royal blue. The blue is obviously because of Sonikadi (Sonika Chauhan). Blue was her favourite colour and she had to be a part of it. Blue will be there in every collection of mine. The red is for my mom and mom-in-law because they said bright colours had to be a part of the collection. I love black! White is for the sincerity with which we have made this collection.
This was Neha’s “Oh gosh!” dress and her homage to Audrey Hepburn. “There have been multiple changes in this outfit. I am a crazy Audrey Hepburn fan. Royal, classy, elegant. The cut is flattering for any body type,” she said. Prasenjit gave Rukmini red-carpet staples — a sleek bun and red lips. “I love red-carpet looks. It was the first outfit she has sent me a picture of and the first one I tried on,” said Rukmini. Pabitra Das
Speaking of Sonika, how much are you missing her? She would have been the happiest…
She would have been there with Rukmini (Maitra) for the shoot and involved at every step. Like Rukmini, she would have also tried out all the outfits for me and given me the best feedback. I really wish things were different and she was here, but she will always be there.
Rukmini has been an important part of this journey…
Very. They (Sonika’s family and Rukmini) treat me like family and they are family to me. Rukmini is personally involved and it is important to get the right feedback.
Location courtesy: Club Fenicia, Sector V
Jewellery: Prihan Luxury Jewelry by Priti Modi, PRIX.TI by Prachi Banka
