In our exclusive interview with the faces behind the fashion label Nickie and Nina, we discover how the brand came to be and what it has achieved in the past decade. These women have a built a loyal clientele through their offering of well fitted and glamorous clothing that appeal to fashion conscious Pakistani women. Not only do they provide superior service to their clients in Pakistan, but offer their services to those living abroad.

Take a look at the personalities behind one of the most recognized fashion labels in Pakistan today...

How would you introduce yourself to our readers?

We are two sisters, Aliya Ali (Nickie) & Nabila Junaid (Nina). We are recognized among the most renowned women’s wear designers from the city of Lahore that cater to the high-end fashion market with extravagant designs. Our idea is to bring to Pakistan the concept of high fashion that is glamorous yet functional, and stylish yet cultural.   

You are a designer team, tell us how you both got together and started this business.

We started off this joint business venture twelve years back, quite casually.  Nina & I got into this partnership in 1995, when there was still a lot to bring into our fashion industry. Presently, very few names and labels still exist from that fashion era. We are among some of the proud names who have set our mark in the industry and are recognized today as one of the most distinguished pioneers of women’s fashion in Pakistan.                                            

What kind of clothes do you design? Who is your target market?

At the moment we’re working on an assortment of Bridals, Prêt and Couture Designs.  Recently we started producing clutch purses and are also working on our upcoming exclusive jewelry line. We cater our designs to women of all ages. 

It’s always good to have healthy competition in order to grow. One should be able to market themselves well. We at Nickie Nina ensure that our designs and fits complement the feminine figure; we work with modern and practical cuts which appeal to our clients, and it keeps them coming back. 

                 John Abraham and Nickie

Do you both personally design the outfits yourself or do you have a design team?

All designs are the result of a joint effort with our design team; the core concept is finalized by us (Nickie & Nina) and is worked on, stirred and developed jointly with our team.  Once the concept is matured, we go ahead with its production.

What are the challenges that you face working as a team? And how do you overcome them?

All of our projects are a joint effort and supervised by us. Thus far, we have had the opportunity to work with very dedicated and efficient teams. Of course we’ve come across challenges at various points and have learned to deal with them overtime.

Time is essentially the key factor of concern when working as a high end designer in today’s market. To keep up with the new and upcoming trends, we have to incorporate fresher ideas into our designs all the while integrating them with our signature style with each approaching season.  

What fashion shows have you done?

Do you plan to do any international shows in the future?      

Locally we've done numerous fashion shows in Pakistan over the last few years, namely in Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad. Lakme India Fashion Week has been our most recent international fashion show. Our upcoming projeccts include exhibitions in Dubai, London and America.

Do you feel that the Fashion Design school in Lahore has contributed to churning out better designers? Do you feel we should have more institutions like these?

Definitely! We believe that there should be more institutions for grooming designers as the fashion industry is a multi-billion dollar industry today. Our fashion industry has immense potential and would certainly show a marked difference in years to come with the provision of a proper platform. Serious efforts still need to be made to promote Pakistani fashion and to make it globally recognized, especially because it’s a growing industry with a huge scope in the international market.

If one was to order a formal suit or a bridal outfit from Nickie and Nina, how would we contact you? What budget do you work with?

Our clients within the country could conveniently visit our Nickie Nina outlets in Lahore & Karachi. However, to stay in touch with our overseas clients we offer website & e-mail facilities. We also communicate with them through regular personal phone calls to keep them updated with their order status and also to inform them of our new & upcoming collections. Our clients may log on to our website: www.nickienina.com or e-mail us at: info@nickienina.com.

As far as the budget is concerned, we’re fairly flexible and do give a reasonable bargain to our clients for their choice, depending upon the nature of their order.

What advice would you like to give to the young designers or women who want to start a boutique business?

For beginners, we recommend that one should always learn from their experiences. It’s good to start your own business, but it’s also important to be professional and focused towards your objective.

Nickie and Nina with Manish Malhotra and Nikka in New York

Your message to all the readers of the Saturday post:       

Look out for us in the U.S. this summer!