For designer Masaba Gupta, versatility is the name of the game and the reason why she has decided to foray into the sleepwear market! Collaborating with Nykaa Fashion for their brand, Nykd, the designer brings to the table pyjamas that can be worn all day long! Noticing a gap in the market for designer sleepwear at affordable prices, Masaba and Nykd bring in a collection that has something for everyone. From animal motifs to classic Masaba-prints, you have a wide range to choose from.
We caught up with Masaba, and the CEO of Nykaa Fashion, Adwaita Nayar, to know more about the collection and get a sneak peek.
ELLE: Congratulations on another first, Masaba! Tell us a bit about your mood board for the Masaba For Nykd collection.
Masaba Gupta (MG): In terms of designing this range, it was, I have to say, a bit challenging because whenever you think of sleepwear, there is a preconceived notion. There are set things that people like and don’t like. But, at the same time, they are a bit more experimental with sleepwear–it’s like a pair of socks where you might wear the colours and patterns that you don’t typically wear in everyday wear. It’s a balance between being quirky and fun and making sure that what you’re making is comfortable. It was very clear that it has to be an extension of the House Of Masaba signature, which it is, and at the same time, not overlap with what we’re already doing with the brand for ready-to-wear.
ELLE: Adwaita, what pushed you towards collaborating with Masaba, and what do you envision creating with this collection?
Adwaita Nayar (AN): Working with Masaba is always an exciting experience–it’s truly inspiring to work with someone who brings excellent creativity with solid business acumen. Nykd’s philosophy of giving women a high sense of comfort and freedom gets further celebrated with Masaba’s unique design aesthetic in our collection. I am certain that people will love the easy fits and striking prints!
ELLE: Can you take us through the collection?
MG: The mood-board was a straightforward brief from me to the team: it should be everything from Jaipur to London. Can a girl who’s sitting in England in the fall wear it? Or can someone in Bombay or Jaipur or Nashik, or anywhere in India, wear it in whatever temperature she’s dealing with and at whatever stage in life she is? So, I said that the motifs have to be very global in that sense–inspired by the world–but the styles must be effortless. We didn’t want to experiment too much with the cuts because sleepwear is, at the end of the day, a comfort-based thing. Girls and women want to be comfortable first, and then they want to be cute.
You’ll see motifs like the Nandi redone in a very cute manner–I do that in all my collections, but it keeps changing shape and form. You’ll see the Bugs Bunny print, some basic florals, which are nice for someone who wants something super feminine when it comes to sleepwear. The colours are in keeping with what you would like to wear at night–lots of navy, blacks, grey, blue, tan. Because when you think of functionality in sleepwear, you want to keep in mind that women don’t want to wear innerwear when wearing sleepwear, so you want to make sure it’s darker colours.
ELLE: Nightwear is a new, exciting forte for you. What drew you to it?
MG: A nightwear collection was something that was on my mind for a very long time. I, fortunately, have a brand that can lend itself to various products easily because of the prints. So, all the fun I can’t have–or won’t have–with my ready to wear range, I have with the sleepwear range. I wanted to make sure that it’s not going to be an exorbitant price point. This is also our entry into the mass market space, and for me, it was very important that whenever I do it, I do it well, and I do it with the right partner, which is why I thought Nykd was the right fit.
ELLE: Tell us about the one thing (a piece, a print or a technique)you love the most about this collection and why?
AN: That’s a tough one; I really like all the prints–from the Nandis to the bedtime statements or the classic and contrasting sets, the entire collection is very trendy and comfortable. But if I must choose, I would go for the Milky Way set with the notch collar, something I personally love. And Masaba’s quirky take on the milky way with the milk-box motifs makes it a fun must-have for any wardrobe!
