Indian clothes and accessories are known across the world for their aesthetic brilliance. The textures and design elements seen in our traditional attire have been appropriated by fashion designers and displayed on international runways. The grand styles have connotations of celebration and colour as well. Harshita Gautam’s Nomad, an e-store and fashion brand, puts the spotlight on the beautiful gypsy ghaghara and hopes to take the beautifully crafted outfits to the international market.
The journey
Harshita admits that she never knew there was an entrepreneur in her. “In school, I was a very unsure kid. I did not know what I wanted to do nor was I happy with what I was made to do. I dropped out of college and did a diploma in Spanish,” she starts.
Over 12 years, Harshita has worked as a travel agent, a baker, a Spanish teacher and a full time corporate at multi-national company. The job-hopping, she admits, was the result of the restlessness in her heart. And she’s thankful, for it led her to discovering her calling.
“I have gone through a lot of struggle. I have always been a courageous soul, so the frequent change in careers did not scare me. Instead, working in different fields gave me a restfulness which I now cherish,” she says with a smile.
Drawing from rural fashion
Designing happened to Harshita by chance. “While I was working in Pune, I spotted a Rabari woman at a traffic signal. I was fascinated by what she was wearing and followed her home to find out more. I was introduced to the ghaghra and I realised, I had found my calling!” she says.
“The first ghaghra I created was for myself. Soon, there were other women around me who were as fascinated by the twists and twirls of the garment. I finally started Nomad in 2012,” she goes on.
Harshita’s biggest takeaway from this experience is that rural India is far more fashion-forward and in balance with its surroundings than the cities. “The journey has been quite overwhelming and yet highly satisfying, since we, as a brand, strive to bring back the lost ghaghra originally worn by nomadic tribes. We have carved a niche for ourselves with a certainty to bring the Indian gypsy in vogue again. In keeping with our mission of reviving our lost traditions, we launched a jewellery brand called Nani’ki last year, which again, endeavours to bring vintage rural Indian jewellery back,” she says.
For the dancer fairy in you
Elaborating on the brand name, Harshita says, “The word nomad captures the essence of the bohemian spirit that hides within all of us. We all are wanderers at heart, whether or not we realise it and Nomad is a reflection of that desire.”
“The reason why the ghaghra fascinated me more than any other garment is that it facilitates movement and supports my passion for dance like no other,” Harshita explains. “When I dance, it becomes my wings. I suspect the reason for my enchantment with the garment is that it indulges the little girl in me who likes to twirl her skirt because it makes her feel like a fairy.”
The ghaghras created by Harshita present the garment in its most original form as she did not want to dilute its spirit. “I also feel, ghaghra in its true form appeals to all women, whether rural or urban. Urban women forming my biggest client base proves it. But I do understand that even though ghaghra inspires awe and admiration, not everyone sees themselves wearing such bright colours. So apart from ghaghra we have a line-up of other beautiful outfits – like kurtis, saris, tunics and scarves – that cater to the women with more subdued tastes,” she says.
Art meets business
Naturally running a business comes with its own set of challenges. “I am an artist at heart so running a business becomes overwhelming at times. Talking about the pressures to my friends and family is the only way I overcome it,” she shares.
Looking ahead, she says she plans to aggressively promote and market the website globally. “With the West warming up to the Indian theme in the recent times, I see a lot of scope in terms of growth and acceptance. Celebrity endorsements and tie-ups with other designers are on my mind as well. On the technical side, we have engaged an SEO team that is constantly monitoring the responses we get and upgrading our quality so as to bring it at par with international standards,” Harshita says.
Outside of work, she loves to dance and has a new-found interest in sketching. The entrepreneur loves to write, play badminton and make crafts with her eight-year-old daughter.
Published 23 December 2016, 15:31 IST