Enduring Ensembles

As Fashion Director of her own label, Manika Nanda is aiming for timeless feminine chic through her creation

What the heart desires Despite having a creative flair, passed on to me from my mother, and a bag full of books with doodles, I enrolled at a prestigious Delhi University college to pursue Psychology Honors. Knowing my love for colors and doodling, my sister persuaded me to go for counseling at the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) and as luck would have it, I was admitted to the best design college in the country, with no preconceived ideas about the course or what my future career path would be.

After graduation (Bachelor of Design), my penchant for fashion took me to Birmingham City University, United Kingdom to pursue a Master’s in Fashion Styling. NIFT gave me an in-depth knowledge on design; it taught me to think in the right direction and to churn out something substantial. My time at Birmingham City University gave me consequential exposure. Though formal training and knowledge has had a positive impact on my career, what was equally important was the lesson given to me by my mother. She has always taught me to be observant, well read, and not to succumb to pressure. She keeps reminding me to pursue what the heart desires and not what society wants from you.

My own label

My years at NIFT turned out to be a formative step towards the inception of my neoclassical label Manika Nanda. I have always been in the radar for my sartorial clothing choices among my friends and peers, and I feel that somewhere I always knew that I had to create a label which would reflect my personal style, a way of dressing up and putting looks together that was just mine.