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Merging fashion with design, NAINIKA KARAN and AMIT VADEHRA translate their aesthetic for one another, finds ABHILASHA OJHA

 

On a crisp but smoggy evening in Delhi’s Defence Colony, the flagship store of Timothy Oulton is abuzz with activity. Inside the plush British vintage-inspired furniture store, a photo shoot is in progress with husband-wife duo Nainika Karan and Amit Vadehra. Karan’s glowing in her gorgeous ochre gown, while Vadehra looks dapper in a bespoke suit. The composition of the scene, much like this power couple, is a celebration of the good life that brings together design and fashion.

It’s not tough to understand why: Karan, a celebrated fashion designer who, with her sister Gauri, launched Gauri & Nainika in 2002, found inspiration in European fashion history, art, music, books, theatre, old Hollywood, red carpet glamour and pictures of their mother from the 1970s. The Vadehra surname, synonymous with art, interior design and furniture, was the family that Amit was born into. In the warmth and security of a large joint family, he grew up absorbing works of Indian modern masters, including MF Husain, SH Raza and Krishen Khanna, among others.

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Given the illustrious families that they both come from, you can understand how Karan and Vadehra guide each other, personally and professionally. “I trust Amit’s business instinct. I turn to him not just for financial matters but also for feedback on our collections,” says Karan.