Gauri & Nainika’s virtual showing at FDCI X Lakme Fashion Week was like falling in love for the first time. Beautiful, one that fills you with a happy lightness and makes the spirit soar. Big, bold blooms splashed on billowy dresses. Frills, volume and belts added to the careless charm. We spoke to Nainika Karan, one half of the label, on how their mother’s garden became the inspiration for the utterly pretty collection.

The collection looks flirty, feminine, feel-good and signature Gauri & Nainika...

Gauri and I have always loved the classics, always been obsessed from Jane Austen to My Fair Lady, Gone with The Wind... anything old world. The music was actually Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, an all-time favourite. The intention was to do something very uplifting, fresh and positive with an outdoor vibe and feel. It was sunny, fresh, feminine and at the same time very romantic. Elegance and timeless is the DNA of our brand, one that makes you feel you are the belle of the ball. It is for occasion dressing and cocktail and evening wear and we have stuck to that. Obviously, the dresses are more wearable in the sense that they were shorter numbers and not just gowns. We did more dresses because the gatherings are still not as big as they used to be. So, the dresses are a little more easy to wear and the prints are fresh. You’ll see a lot of our signature fabrics, patterns and silhouettes like the ruffles, bows and flowers. A lot of girls associate us with midi dresses and they are always our bestseller. It is not a gown and yet it is not a dress and you are making a statement and dramatic.

The inspiration was my mother’s garden. We basically spent so much time in the last one year and you are so involved with the gardening process that we thought of shooting it there. We did eight different prints. It is an explosion of prints.

Soon it’ll be 20 years for Gauri and you in the business...

We launched our line in 2004. We had a pret line before that we started at the end of 2001. At the end of this year, it will be 20 years we’ve been doing fashion. It has been exciting and challenging. There’s always something new in fashion. You can constantly evolve and yet remain who you are in the essence of what you do. There have been highs and lows like every other brand and we have enjoyed the journey. We have grown and evolved and become better at what we do. A lot of people have told us that why don’t you get into bridal, Indian clothes like lehngas and saris. It’s not like we don’t enjoy wearing them. I absolutely love Rohit Bal’s clothes, a genius. We, have however, stuck to clothes that we love doing and comes naturally to us. We love making glamorous clothes for women for cocktail and eveningwear.

Who is the calmer one?

I think Gauri is definitely the calmer and more mature one. I am a year younger than her and we are more like twins and we have similar thinking and taste. As personalities we are quite different. She is more collected and the planner in the label and I would say, I execute a lot. She is a clear thinker and we design together. It is fun. We almost work like one mind.

Who are your all-time classic faves?

I love the way Elle Fanning dresses. Gauri and I love Cate Blanchett. So impeccably dressed, bold and striking. Also, Nicole Kidman.