Nicobar At Ten: A Decade Of Design, Community And Modern Indian Dressing

Nicobar marked its tenth anniversary the way it approaches most things—with warmth, music and a room full of the people who helped build it. When Raul Rai took the stage, he began where he always does—by thanking the team (something which he never forgets) who have been part of the journey over the last decade, the guests who’ve always supported the brand and his family. . Referring to the philosophy of ‘Ubuntu,’ the idea that “I am because we are,” he spoke about the collective spirit that has shaped Nicobar since its earliest days. It was a fitting way to begin the celebration of a brand that, for ten years now, has built a community around the way modern India dresses and lives.

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Being at the show reminded me of the time a few years ago, while studying marketing, I remember using Nicobar as part of a brand case study. It was already familiar to me as a label I had seen in stores and my mum’s wardrobe, but analysing it academically forced me to look at the mechanics behind it. Why did it resonate with a certain kind of Indian consumer? How did a relatively young brand manage to feel instantly recognisable? At the time, Nicobar felt like a well-constructed business example of design-led branding.

Today, as the label celebrates ten years, the exercise feels strangely full circle. Speaking to its founders and designer about the journey reveals that Nicobar was never meant to be just another fashion brand. From the beginning it was imagined as something larger. A way of expressing what a modern Indian way of living, dressing and looking at the world might look like.

The idea: Building a Modern Indian Lifestyle brand 

The brand was founded in March 2016 by Simran Lal and Raul Rai, with a clear vision: to build a design-led lifestyle brand rooted in Indian culture but relevant to a global, modern consumer. Lal had already spent years shaping the Indian luxury landscape as a creative entrepreneur, while Rai brought an entrepreneurial and strategic lens from his background in finance and investment. Together, they began asking a simple but important question: what does modern Indian living actually look like today?

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Their answer became Nicobar.

A brand that would span clothing, home, travel, and gifting—built on natural materials, relaxed silhouettes, and an aesthetic inspired by journeys across the Indian Ocean. The name itself reflected that philosophy: Nicobar, an island chain between India and Southeast Asia, known for its natural beauty and relaxation. The Nicobar brand was inspired by the Indian Ocean, the Spice Route, and a relaxed island aesthetic, symbolising movement, culture, and exchange. “We wanted to create a contemporary brand that reflects the modern Indian way of living, dressing and looking at the world,” Lal says 

When Nicobar launched in 2016, the fashion landscape looked very different. Fitted silhouettes dominated wardrobes—skinny jeans, structured kurtas, tightly cut dresses. Nicobar proposed something quieter but radically different: ease. The visual identity of Nicobar was shaped by designer Aparna Chandra, who joined the founding team during the early development phase of the brand. The design philosophy centred around comfort, natural fabrics and relaxed silhouettes.

At a time when fitted clothing dominated the Indian market, the brand leaned towards ease. Loose kurtas, breezy dresses, cotton shirts and relaxed trousers offered a quieter alternative to the heavily structured garments popular in the mid-2010s. The brand relied heavily on natural textiles such as cotton, mulmul and silk, often in neutral palettes with playful accents. White became a recurring base colour, punctuated by bold prints, motifs and occasional bursts of colour.

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This approach struck a chord with well-travelled urban Indians looking for clothing that felt effortless yet distinctly Indian. Within a few years the label expanded rapidly, opening stores across major cities and building a loyal following. By its tenth year, Nicobar had grown into a lifestyle brand with more than thirty retail locations across India and a strong e-commerce presence.

Early in its journey, they created a piece that would come to symbolise the brand. It was a simple polka dot dress that customers began referring to as the ‘Nico Dress’. Light, breathable and easy to style, the dress reflected the brand’s relaxed aesthetic. It could be worn alone, layered, or styled differently across seasons. Lal described it as “an easy, breezy and universally flattering dress that has gotten love from a legion of women.” The Nico Dress quickly became one of the label’s best-known garments. It sold out frequently and appeared repeatedly across social media, helping establish a recognisable Nicobar identity among consumers.

For a young brand, the dress did something crucial. It translated the philosophy of Nicobar into a single piece of clothing that people immediately understood.

Expanding the universe

While clothing remained central, the brand always positioned itself as a lifestyle label rather than a pure fashion brand. Over the years the product universe expanded steadily. Home objects, tableware and ceramics became key categories. Brass bowls, patterned cushions, kulhars and serving platters brought the same design sensibility into living spaces. Travel accessories followed. Tote bags, toiletry kits, scarves and travel jewellery reflected the brand’s emphasis on mobility and ease.

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Then came a category that the founders had not initially predicted would become significant: gifting.

Customers began picking up mugs, coasters and home accessories as presents. Alphabet mugs in particular became a cult item. The team soon realised that gifting was becoming an important entry point for new customers discovering the brand. Speaking about this during our conversation, Rai said the shift was entirely organic. Customers themselves turned Nicobar products into gifts, prompting the brand to invest more seriously in curated packaging and gifting collections.

Today gifting remains one of the label’s strongest categories and an important part of its retail experience.

Listening to a Changing Customer

Over the last decade Nicobar’s audience has evolved alongside the brand. Its customer base spans a wide age range, something the founders actively encourage. Rai explained during our interview that Nicobar does not segment its audience by age. Instead the brand focuses on mindset. “Our consumer is someone with a global outlook, someone curious about where products come from and how they are made,” he said. “If that psychographic exists, age becomes irrelevant.” 

The same philosophy extends internally as well. One of the aspects Rai speaks about most often is the culture within the company and the people who have helped shape it over the years. Many members of the team have been with the brand since its earliest days, growing alongside it for nearly a decade. The founders often describe the team as the heart of the brand's journey — a close-knit group where ideas are shared openly and every individual feels invested in the brand’s evolution.

Rai frequently refers to the philosophy of ‘Ubuntu’, as mentioned, the idea that “I am because we are”, when talking about the company. It reflects the belief that Nicobar has been built collectively, through the contributions of a team as well as the love and loyalty of the customers that has stayed deeply committed to the brand’s vision over the years

From Lifestyle brand to Cultural platform

As Nicobar approached its tenth year, the founders began reflecting on the broader role the brand could play. One of the most significant developments to emerge from that reflection is Nico Eco, an ecological initiative led by Lal. The project focuses on reimagining how design, culture and environmental responsibility intersect. Rather than functioning as a typical sustainability programme, Nico Eco aims to build a cultural movement around ecological thinking and restoration.

For the founders, the initiative reflects a deeper belief that businesses must contribute to society beyond commercial growth.

The Next Chapter: Nicobar at Ten

The tenth anniversary marks the beginning of a new chapter for the brand. 

The anniversary presentation itself captured the spirit of this transition. Rather than a traditional runway show, the evening unfolded almost like a celebration. The first segment introduced NicoEco, offering a glimpse into the initiative’s ecological vision. It was followed by Nicobar’s first evening wear collection. Shimmer appeared in several looks — something unexpected for a brand that usually avoids overtly decorative surfaces. Yet the pieces remained true to the label’s sensibility: subtle, restrained yet celebratory rather than overtly glamorous.

The NicoBaraat collection emerged as one of the most exciting moments of the evening and honestly, my favourite collection too. Designed as an interpretation of occasion wear, the lehengas played with layered silhouettes, checks, florals and colour combinations not typically associated with traditional Indian wedding clothing. The effect felt fresh and contemporary, offering a glimpse of how the brand might reinterpret celebratory dressing for a new generation.

Another major highlight is the collaboration with designer Rajesh Pratap Singh. Known for his meticulous tailoring and understated design language, Singh brings a refined menswear perspective to the Nicobar aesthetic.

Speaking about the collaboration, Aparna Chandra, who has been a long-time friend of Pratap described the experience as deeply respectful of craft. She emphasised Pratap’s extraordinary technical precision and integrity towards garment construction. And also did not fail to compliment his discipline, and craftsmanship. 

A Decade of Modern Indian Influence

Ten years after its founding, Nicobar occupies a distinctive space within the Indian design landscape. It is neither a traditional fashion house nor a conventional lifestyle retailer. Instead it operates somewhere in between, shaping how many urban Indians think about everyday clothing, design and living.

Looking back, Rai often frames the journey in personal terms.

“The biggest learning from being an entrepreneur is how much you grow as a person,” he said during our conversation. “You learn patience, humility and how to serve the team that builds the brand.”

What began in 2016 as an experiment in modern Indian design has gradually evolved into a cultural marker. From the now-iconic Nico Dress to stores across the country and a growing ecological initiative, Nicobar has spent a decade building a design language that feels distinctly its own.

And if the upcoming collections are any indication, the brand is still only getting started.

Also Read: 

How Nicobar came to define slow fashion for a new Indian generation