Inside Nicobar's Midnight Wonderland

Designer Aparna Chandra walks us through Nicobar's latest festive collection, Midnight Wonderland, at their store at Delhi's The Chanakya mall. Chandra, 47, a NIFT graduate who started her label in 1998 before shifting focus to styling for almost a decade, says the ‘glamour’ is deliberate. “It was a conscious decision to create something dressy for the evenings because one missed that at Nicobar. We also got similar feedback from our clients so we put out this collection as a bit of an experiment. We also believe in prices that can reach more people. But this collection was impossible to create for a lesser price, primarily because of the fabrics and the craftsmanship. For instance, the brocade woven in Benaras for the jacket cost us a lot,” said Chandra. The designer came wearing mismatched earrings from the brand’s Talisman collection– an engaging selection of gold-plated brass charms cast in star anise, chilli, poppy pod and other interesting moulds – yet another example of Nicobar’s distinct design expression.