September Issue 2008

By | Fashion | Life Style | Published 16 years ago

Fame, wisdom, love, and power were mine, And health and youth possessed me; My goblets blushed from every vine, And lovely forms caressed me; I sunned my heart in beauty’ eyes, And felt my soul grow tender; All earth can give, or mortal prize, Was mine of regal splendour.

-Lord Byron

Vanity knows no bounds in Nickie and Nina’s latest collection. Inspired by the Greek god Narcissus, the idea is to wrap oneself in the opulent garbs of this western line and fall in love with oneself. A piercing shade of red has been chosen for this collection, since “this particular deep shade of red suits all complexions,” says Nina. “All reds suit Asian skin colour, but for the fairer complexions one has to be careful.”

The shamelessly exuberant reds and soft silk chiffons are contrasted with simple, smart cuts — teasing yet sophisticated — to give an overall sexy yet classy look. The crystal, turquoise and antique gold sequinned embroidery is minimalistic and is frequently replaced by animal print hemlines and pipings to tone down the extravagant red.

Nickie and Nina have pulled off a fine balancing act by harmonising a seductive colour with sophisticated cuts. Red is a difficult colour to work with and can easily go wrong, but weary of the thin line between classy, super stylish and plain gaudy, the duo has entered fashion’s most perilous waters and come out clean with a vivacious yet demure line.