Nupur Kanoi, designer to the stars, is back at NUMAISH
- 05 Dec 2019
Saleha Irfan, Senior Sub-Editor/Reporter
With wedding and party season in full swing, NUMAISH is back with the winter edition of its exhibition, aptly titled Wedding & Party Edit. More than 80 designers will showcase their collections on Dec.7 at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers in Dubai. The exhibition, which is in its 26th edition, will run from 11am to 9pm and offer a diverse line-up of premium to affordable designers for the wedding and party season in Dubai.
One of the designers at the NUMAISH Winter Show 2019 is Nupur Kanoi, whose designs have been worn by many stars including Alia Bhatt, Aishwarya Rai, Sonam Kapoor, Karishma Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Freida Pinto, Shilpa Shetty and Sara Ali Khan, among others.
Kanoi, a fashion design graduate from National Institute of Fashion Technology, Kolkata, worked as a fashion stylist and writer with luxury lifestyle magazine "Verve," after which she ventured into her own eponymous label in 2006. In March 2012, she made her national runway debut at Lakme Fashion Week.
Her work is experimental, multi-dimensional and highly detailed for which she won The Grazia Young Fashion Award in 2013 for Indie-Cool. She was also featured as The Top Crop of This Year’s Finest in "Elle" in October 2012.
Kanoi is a fashion design graduate from National Institute of Fashion Technology in Kolkata.
She also showcased her collection in Kenya Worldwide Fashion Week in August 2015, Dubai Fashion League in March 2017 and most recently in South Africa, Durban, at Haute Events. She has recently launched her first flagship store in Kolkata.
Kanoi spoke about her latest collection, inspirations and showcasing at NUMAISH.
Is this your first time at NUMAISH?
It’s the second time we are participating in NUMAISH. We have done shows in Dubai consistently every year since 2017 and our market has grown rapidly since. The UAE has the perfect lifestyle for our brand ethos and we love to dress the stylish women here.
What does fashion mean to you?
For me, it’s a way of life. It is changing all the time but there are constants and that is style. One should be discerning enough to know when to get swept away by fashion and when to stop and understand one’s personal style. It's a tricky balance but at all times it has to be effortlessly chic. That is my mantra.
Tell us about your latest collection and your inspiration for it?
Crucero, our latest resortwear collection explores the eclecticism of Spain with a playful 70s vibe, which is bohemian and cruise inspired for the traveller chic.
How do you usually get inspired?
Travel has always inspired me and I make sure I do it a lot and to unique cities that arouse my wonder.
What is the fashion trend for this season?
The 1970s has been heavily revisited worldwide for inspiration.
What skills are important for a successful career in fashion design?
The right balance between creativity, trends and most importantly management of people as it’s a skill-based industry.
What advice do you have for aspiring fashion designers?
Patience and dedication.
Where can we buy your clothes?
We do pop-ups like NUMAISH and Sopritti twice a year in Dubai with an extensive range. We are also available online on our Instagram and soon-to-be launched website.
In 2013, Kanoi's designs won The Grazia Young Fashion Award for Indie-Cool.
Madonna all the way. She's timeless and yet she has been such a trendsetter of all times.
First article of clothing you ever designed.
The basic torso. Fashion was by accident and never the grand plan.
Favourite designers?
Dries Van Noten, Ann Demeulemeester, Haider Ackermann and Rick Owens, to name a few.
Favourite colours to work with?
Black, blue, green and red.
One thing about you most people don't know.
If I told you then most would know. Some things are better kept secret.