N aina Lamba Textiles is a textile design studio specialising in creating hand illustrated digital prints for home, apparel and lifestyle accessories.

Driven by an innate need to make the world pretty, Naina Lamba is an ambitious textile designer specialising in creating her trademark surface patterns for all kinds of products.

Each one of Naina Lamba’s design patterns are crafted by hand, and inspired by her travels. All of Naina’s designs from her design studio has a story, and every story that promises to take the owner of the print and the accesory on a journey that explores the beauty – the myths, the crafts, the flora and fauna, the pastel and  the monochorme that various streets and cityscapes across the globe has to offer and that she has walked.

A graduate from Delhi based National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), and with a degree in Textile Design, Naina received her masters degree in Textile Design, and specialising  in Print Design, from Winchester School of Art, UK. Passionate and driven to launch her own brand of textile design, upon graduating from Winchester School of Art , Naina chose to return to India in November 2017, and opened her own studio, Naina Lamba Textiles (NL Textiles).

NL Textiles works with fabric houses, fashion designers, suppliers, retailers and small start up businesses in the home decor, fashion & stationery markets.

Naina also has her own line of stationery, Papercollect, to make workspace of her clients cute, fun and organised

Follow Naina: 

Charuka Arora, Founder of Arts To Hearts Project

www.charukaarora.com

Arts To Hearts Project

https://artstoheartsproject.com/

www.instagram.com/artstoheartsproject/

AUTOMATED TRANSCRIPTS

00:00.00
charukaarora
Hey, you guys welcome back to the arts two hearts podcast season two this is your host sharoka and welcome. Anyone who’s joining us for the first time I want to say a big welcome for coming back here. I’m so thrilled to have you. This is such an amazing episode I have someone very interesting. And amazing with me and anyone who’s I know a lot of people who are coming back to this episode who supported this show for so many episodes and I am so grateful for your support. So thank you for joining us back in so today’s guest is someone. Someone a little different from what we’ve had we’ve had a lot of fine artists. You know, um in visual arts. But today I have someone who is even more specific and I know a lot of you have requested to bring more people in the more women in the arts doing different kind of visual arts. Today I have a textile designer who specializes in print design. She’s based out of India and she’s really popular if you see her work you which you can in show notes you’ll see everything that you know I love and you know her work is just so amazing. I don’t want to give up. Too much so I’m just going to get in the conversation and let me introduce you to nana welcome to the podcast nana.

01:24.00
Naina
Hi Charka thank you for the beautiful introduction and hi guys I’m Nanna as tarruka said I’m a textile designer and I specialize in print design I’m also an illustrator and I design prints for. Wherever you can see prints in life from clothes to interiors to shoes to accessories. So I think that’s the most fun part about my job like I design prints for literally everything that you see so I think more than yes, this is also my friend I had to I my friend today. Yes.

01:52.19
charukaarora
I can see your lovely print on your dress. Also really oh Wow That’s amazing.

02:00.53
Naina
Of course. So yeah I’ve stopped wearing prints that don’t belong to me anymore. Ah yes.

02:08.00
charukaarora
Amazing. So Nana you know what? um your your job is the most. Um I think the hottest topic um in especially in the finance area because I feel like the licensing world has picked up so much. Um, it’s also giving.

02:23.78
Naina
Yeah, for sure.

02:28.50
charukaarora
It’s it’s giving artists a way to really take their work to a master level to reach to a wider audience to also have commission work but also still have that control of what you want to create which is the most most difficult balance.

02:45.50
Naina
Yes.

02:46.14
charukaarora
And I’m so glad to have this I’m sure a lot of people will really enjoy this this episode because I know how much people are looking forward to knowing how this world works but before we go into the technical part and I ask you those questions. Let’s also talk about how you have come here.

02:57.39
Naina
Yes.

03:05.79
charukaarora
So do you want to take us through that journey.

03:05.80
Naina
Yes, so it’s so it’s been such a long journey Honestly, so my mom was into fashion design and I was always a creative child. Yes and this was like um this was like years ago and I’ve always seen her she was into heavy bridal Indian wear right.

03:13.77
charukaarora
Journey.

03:23.62
charukaarora
Okay.

03:25.22
Naina
And I’ve always seen her creating and playing with colors playing with surfaces playing with texture. So and I think I was in fifth grade when I decided decided I have to get into design and fashion designed to be specific and you know. But when I got into my tenth grade and that is when I had to choose you know I was like no I have to get into arts I have to do something creative and my parents being the typical indian kind they’re like no, you have to you know you have to have a backup you can choose to do arts later but you have to have a backup take up science take up commerce. I was like okay I’ll study com but on this side I have to you know, do something creative. So of course I was doing my business studies accounting maths but I was always creating art on the side I was always doing my sketching and repairing my portfolio because I was very clear I have to get into a design school.

04:01.89
charukaarora
Do.

04:18.37
Naina
So I think Twelfth grade I started prepping for my entrance and my pens were like it’s either nif tellhi which is so ah, which is I think one of the best fashion schools in India or ah or you get into a basic business university.

04:29.64
charukaarora
In that.

04:37.50
Naina
Was like okay that’s very hard like that So it was a very tough decision for me because ah they did not want me to move out move out of the city and I couldn’t find any good fashion school so it was either. It was Niftel and or nothing for me. So I really worked hard and um I did get a good rank.

04:45.17
charukaarora
Um, yeah I.

04:57.10
Naina
But ah I wanted fashion design and fortunately I would say now I got into textile design so it wasn’t according to plan but I feel so lucky that you know I because eventually I realized that fashion is not for me like I cannot be doing. Ah.

05:05.94
charukaarora
Yeah.

05:16.48
Naina
The the scenes that you were talking about the pattern making the cutting it’s too like nothing ah like I don’t like geometry I like I like to be creative and just yeah I like fluity so I was I think I was very fortunate that I got into textile design and so that also had like a lot of different.

05:25.78
charukaarora
Fluidity.

05:36.32
Naina
Semester is right? So we studied we we studied Surface We studied print and when the print design semester started that is when I started really enjoying my course like I I could create what I wanted I could play with color I could play with textures and then you know digitizing your artwork and. Then you learn the technical aspect of it creating repeats and sizing and color separation. All of that I really started enjoying it and I did end up um, topping my semester that year and I realized you know this is where this is what I want to do in life.

06:09.77
charukaarora
Okay, please.

06:12.25
Naina
So I decided like like after I graduated I decided I have to do my master’s in print design. So I went to Uk the I went to winchester school of art which which is a very cute art school located in this small city in Uk it’s it’s it was a very cute little town.

06:16.80
charukaarora
Um, okay.

06:22.48
charukaarora
http://q.school

06:28.96
Naina
So it’s the University Of Southampton right and their art school is located in this historic town away from the city where you’ll only see retired people and students. That’s all so it was such a nice. Ah I mean it was such a creative place to just create like create your art and just be inspired.

06:29.58
charukaarora
Yeah.

06:42.55
charukaarora
Create.

06:46.97
Naina
From you know your surroundings people. So I think that one year is when I really explored what my aesthetic and what my style is and that is what kickstarted my career and you know gave me the confidence that I can do this and. I think I started freelancing when I was in the second year of nift I got my first project through Instagram because I was you know, creating prints on the side and you know that is when Instagram had actually come up.

07:08.71
charukaarora
Okay.

07:19.74
Naina
And so I had this lady contact contact me from the us and I got me really excited and things weren’t digitized as yet so we had we didn’t even have paypal set up properly so it was a really exciting project. We yeah yeah, it was like long ago like 2013 I think

07:29.55
charukaarora
Okay, yeah, of course. Yeah, yeah, at that point doing bit like internationally or via online payments and like I’m sure it wasn’t.

07:38.53
Naina
Almost like 10 years back yeah yeah yeah I wasn’t yeah I wasn’t easy but I was like I’ll do it and I remember selling one print for like $30 or something and.

07:52.37
charukaarora
Yeah, yeah.

07:55.92
Naina
Yeah, so I think that is where I began. So yeah, it was a fun start. So I and I think I was inter with Sata Paul at that time and yeah, yes, yes, and they also specialize in trend.

08:03.10
charukaarora
Okay, Satep Paul is an indian brand here come you can hear my dog scratching. yeah yeah I love um the divorce expanded in a lot of categories now but sate paul at that point I feel like was.

08:13.98
Naina
Yes, yes.

08:20.46
charukaarora
Like this luxury Indian Iconic Band resonating with this trend category.

08:21.25
Naina
Yes, right? Yeah and you know, but where I got my confidence of actually doing prints and developing collections on my own was my graduation project which was with the with this brand called the wishing chair.

08:39.14
charukaarora
Yeah, very cute.

08:40.64
Naina
Which is a lifestyle and that’s s 3 brand here in India and yeah, they have very cute stuff and so I started my graduation project and I was given the task to create like five six collections over like a range of products. There was ceramics that was um. Linen ah table linens there was clothing so that really gave me the confidence because they just left me free. They were like you choose the theme you choose the colors you design everything. So I really had fun with the collection and I really had a blast doing my graduation project and even my final. Major project in nift so that that came out to be really well and after my masters. So while I was there I so I was really really fond of traveling and you know that was my ticket to just I was in the Uk. There was so many nice cities around to see so.

09:28.68
charukaarora
Um.

09:34.58
Naina
I was like I have to do something to be able to sponsor this on my own like I can’t be dependent on my parents wherever that is an I went on this website called Upwork If you’ve heard of it. So yeah, it’s basically a website for freelancers and that is where I found a few clients and.

09:37.20
charukaarora
Um, yeah. Um, yeah, yeah.

09:53.11
Naina
I Had a few projects in hand but I would say when I started working with these clients. Um the kind of work that I was doing wasn’t something that was um, ah you know completely my aesthetic. Ah so that is how I started and I think.

10:04.60
charukaarora
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

10:11.60
Naina
That’s okay because it was just for me to gain some experience and build some build a network and you know get out there in the industry. So yeah, so but after a while I think after a few months of freelancing freelancing I had collected enough money to do like a.

10:17.73
charukaarora
Yeah.

10:28.89
Naina
Mini Auto trip. Yeah, so I think.

10:28.91
charukaarora
Oh Wow Oh wow, Yeah, your you know I remember is um I have been following you I don’t know um, quite some time I’ve seen you literally grown from your yeah I’ve been following you for a very long time I I think.

10:40.41
Naina
Like delete as not.

10:48.87
charukaarora
Just when you were I remember you were just I think below 5000 followers when I remember you growing from that point and I remember you sharing a lot of your prints you um.

10:54.59
Naina
Okay, yeah.

11:05.85
charukaarora
Pick up from your travel.

11:05.97
Naina
Yes, so I’ll tell you how that started so I’ve always been fond of traveling and the final major project of my masters. So I had just gone on this year trip with my friends to Portugal.

11:09.70
charukaarora
Yeah.

11:19.76
charukaarora
Um, okay, well.

11:21.63
Naina
And I did this entire series of prints so which was which was inspired by the cities of Portugal. So I did one for Porto one for lisbon one for faro so I had like aringe of prints inspired by these portugal handpainted tires and the flo and fauna of Portugal. The architecture.

11:33.98
charukaarora
Um, who.

11:40.46
Naina
And I really enjoyed doing that because there was just so much inspiration to gather and so much to see and so yeah, so I did my entire finding major collection of I think 10 prints and I thought that was a lot of fun and then right after my masters I wanted to work in the Uk I did. Get a few internships but I was like no I don’t want to waste my time I do not want to work under anyone I came back and um I came back and I was still figuring out what I want to do I was debating whether.

12:03.40
charukaarora
Yeah.

12:13.11
Naina
To start my own fashion line. What to do with prince to start my own product line to do stationary scarves because there was just so much I could do with prince. Yeah, and I came back in October eighteen and I was figuring out what to do and while I was figuring all this out I realized I was.

12:19.16
charukaarora
So much.

12:24.68
charukaarora
Okay.

12:31.73
Naina
Already busy creating prints for so many clients and then I realized you know I could just be doing this I do not want to get into the hassle of production because that will take away from my creative process and I do not want to get into that manufacturing bit and.

12:40.76
charukaarora
Yeah.

12:49.76
Naina
You know I just want to create that is all I want you to do and just to see your prints come to life and ah to see a product being made that gave me so much joy. So.

12:50.33
charukaarora
Um, yeah, yeah.

13:02.61
Naina
I think um I came back in October and end of November I had fully set up my studio I had taken up a space I had thank you? Yeah so I really enjoyed setting it up and I filled it with colors and my print and yes of course.

13:06.29
charukaarora
You have one of the most goous to use. Ah.

13:16.61
charukaarora
Um, and flamingos.

13:22.30
Naina
And yeah, so I started my studio and you know with no with belly any projects in hand but I was I just surrendered and I was like this is what I want to do I made my account on patent bank started selling there. But.

13:33.98
charukaarora
Um, yes.

13:39.72
Naina
I was still a little confused as to you know what will happen in the future like it. Yeah how how to make it grow right? and then suddenly um this Ah this lady from the Dominican Republic contacts me.

13:41.81
charukaarora
How to move? yeah.

13:54.46
charukaarora
Um, okay, okay.

13:56.18
Naina
Um, from this brand called the coconut swimber. So it’s a swim brand based in Dominican Republic and she happened to see my print collection that I had done for my masters which was inspired by Portugal she was like I want to buy this entire collection for the next season.

14:08.34
charukaarora
Um, okay, wow where did she find you and where did she even see this Instagram wow.

14:14.51
Naina
And I was like wow and on Instagram on yeah, everything on Instagram honestly, that’s the only platform I’ve used for like promoting my work. It’s been. It’s been great for me so that was that.

14:26.69
charukaarora
Um, yeah.

14:33.42
Naina
Gave me quite a bit of confidence I was like I can do this then you know again rising my work was a challenge. You know I wasn’t aware so I did undercharge her a bit but that’s okay I was just starting out and then after I sold her I had a few more clients from Miami from us.

14:38.42
charukaarora
Yeah, that’s a big challenge.

14:53.10
Naina
Few more s swimmbet lines and then other other people contacting me from dominican republic and then I had met someone here to do a project with this lady called she start she was just starting her brand called IraBery creations and she’s an interior designer.

15:08.22
charukaarora
Yeah, no get.

15:12.64
Naina
And she really liked my prince and we started. We literally built the brand together and so I was working with her and then I had a few more clients who was solely relying on me for Prince so that is how you know my my journey started and then I think there was no looking back.

15:30.60
charukaarora
And.

15:31.77
Naina
I haven’t even seen one month where you know I’ve not had new clients getting in touch with me. So it’s been.

15:34.91
charukaarora
Wow, That’s so so inspiring and so amazing because you know it’s not easy I think one of the hardest things especially when you’re working with clients like you said consistency.

15:49.23
Naina
Yes, yes.

15:50.81
charukaarora
Making sure that you know you have we all have bills to pay and it’s also business. We have to make sure that um, like you know we we have that kind of Bandwidth We consistently get that kind of work and also there’s a lot of investment that goes in. Um.

15:55.80
Naina
Of course.

16:06.30
Naina
Yes, for sure.

16:09.10
charukaarora
And the bills need to be still paid but tell me something um, when you started um at that point I remember you and Alicia Suza is an indian artist who was very popular for her journals.

16:20.32
Naina
Yes, yes.

16:24.70
charukaarora
And I remember because I also dabbled in journals at some point and I wasn’t really created it but I remember you I saw those journals and I think you were just thing you were exhibiting at wework. Um, and you did those? Um, amazing, beautiful.

16:34.10
Naina
Yes.

16:41.57
charukaarora
Tropical floral journals and do do you want to talk about that.

16:43.28
Naina
Yeah, so yeah, so when I started just as just for a bit of marketing and also I I was really really fond of stationery I was like I think this is product to create Why not just do a line of stationery. So.

16:53.79
charukaarora
Um, yeah.

17:01.57
Naina
I Found a printer and ah I found I Found a few contacts to do my production and I created my online was station of stationary but that was like just for a year and I knew you know this is not what what I want to do forever because I saw myself get stuck in that loop of production I was at the printers.

17:17.64
charukaarora
Um, yeah samples to.

17:21.75
Naina
Trying to get you know things sorted because sample through and you know getting production done it and I realized I wasn’t creating anymore. So I was like never again, even if I do products. It’s always going to be like a short range of products for a bit. Yes.

17:30.33
charukaarora
Um, yeah, job ship. Yeah, and also drop shipping like today we have an amazing resource of drop shipping and I think what you said is something that we all ask creatives trouble the most like.

17:38.62
Naina
And then I will get back to the back? yes.

17:50.25
charukaarora
Like you know we have this one creative skill like you know you want to create now. The question is do you? There is? There’s no right or wrong way to do something. We just need to keep experimenting and figure out how we want to do it and what works well for us like I shared with you when I did Fashion. I Still love fashion a lot of my work is still inspired by Indian Textiles Um Indian heritage and everything but I absolutely from the core of my heart hate managing production hate I literally I hated that job that much because.

18:12.65
Naina
Okay. I can I and I get you? Yes I think same here just also ah um, just also finances like the costing and all of that is just.

18:26.50
charukaarora
Yeah.

18:30.39
charukaarora
Um, yeah.

18:35.94
Naina
Just takes me away from my creativity and I don’t want that to happen I Just want to yeah I was just saying I just want to sit and create beautiful prints. That’s all I want to do.

18:38.24
charukaarora
Yeah, and also dear boy.

18:47.81
charukaarora
And then you’re still making a successful business. You’re stillriving in your career and there’s there’s always a way to do this because you know what I’ll share this what something is there something that feels right and wrong. Even when you’re doing like when I was doing the fashion thing.

18:54.50
Naina
This.

19:04.94
charukaarora
It was a creative business I was still a creator I was still a designer but it never felt after that phase of just creating when I actually started integrating business into it. It didn’t feel right now as an artist I feel like that Even now I’m growing my business I’m doing everything.

19:05.16
Naina
Yes.

19:24.20
charukaarora
Um, to grow a business and you know that side of it but it it just feels right because I know that this is like 1 part but at the end of the day. My host still remains to create.

19:27.30
Naina
I.

19:37.20
Naina
Yes, yes yeah I would completely agree. Yes.

19:40.57
charukaarora
And then everything else matters. Ha Yeah, how about this experimentation that it took for you like licensing is still a very unexplored area like a lot of artists in the visuals I know now to define artists because you know it brings. It brings it brings more stability. It’s a great resource for passive Income. It’s a great resource to take your work on like ah on a mask level to work with Brands. Um, but a lot of people don’t know how to begin where to go? What are the specifics.

20:16.30
Naina
That.

20:20.30
charukaarora
And now the good thing is like like you know, licensing and creating patterns is not only restricted to like 1 with former visual art like fine artists like photographers or like um print designers and surface designers like you be. We all can.

20:30.31
Naina
Any.

20:39.70
charukaarora
I Mean we’ve seen like emoji designer people people have done so much like they they’ve just used this as a tool but can you share your journey of like how did did you think like did this seem.

20:41.57
Naina
Um, yeah, yes.

20:57.18
charukaarora
Like a way for you to um to actually build it sustainably and how did you get started into it then.

21:02.67
Naina
So um, this was ah during my masters when I saw so many when I heard about and I started following so many textile design studios in the Uk and I started following all these print design shows that happen like ah him textil and.

21:11.30
charukaarora
Um, okay.

21:21.93
Naina
The one the one that happens in Paris but I am I forgetting the name anyway, there’s a lot of print is a print trade shows that happen and that is my ultimate goal to be able to exhibit their few years down the line hopefully and yes, um.

21:29.92
charukaarora
Um, I’m sure you will.

21:39.51
Naina
So um I saw that there are so many textile design studios and I realized that you know India is a hub of export houses but it lacks design studios studios that are just exclusively creating art and design and not doing any sort of production.

21:44.82
charukaarora
Yes, right. Um, yeah.

21:56.81
Naina
Ah, so that was my aim so I came here I thought okay I’ll open my own little studio I’ll get started and you know that was the time 20182019 that was the time when you know, especially indian fashion designers. They were transient. Transitioning from those heavy embroidered garments to more breadth resortware printed garments. So I realized there was a lot of demand here and very few designers who would want to license their work so that is how I got into it and yeah I started reading about it a lot and.

22:13.60
charukaarora
Um, yeah, yeah.

22:23.69
charukaarora
Um, yeah, that’s too.

22:30.59
Naina
Patent Bank really helped me because more than um of earning from it I I got to learn a lot from it about licensing about the kinds of and the types of licensing how I can sell my prints. How my prints should be Prized. What is the Market Value. What are the trends. So um. And so I made my account there and started doing a lot of research and you know eventually. Um, start to learn more about it and now I started licensing my prints also but now um I work in a very easy way I Just do um. Just do customized prints. So For example, if I collapse by customize I Mean for example, if I collaborate with a fashion designer or if a designer gets in touch with me and they want me to do their collection I would exclusively create the collection for them and sell them the rights of the prints.

23:08.97
charukaarora
Okay, by customizing me.

23:25.60
charukaarora
Oh Wow then? Okay, okay.

23:27.30
Naina
Instead of creating my own collection and then licensing it. Yeah, so it’s just backwards and yeah I think that works well for both me and the brand because the brand gets exactly what they need in terms of the design color. But because there’s a lot that goes into the into a design technically as well. The scaling and you know the kind of printing that the brand wants to go for So I sit with them and we create the entire collection from scratch.

23:46.38
charukaarora
Um, yeah.

23:56.34
charukaarora
With Okay, that’s interesting. Let’s talk about this a little bit more for anyone who’s let’s say interested.. There’s so much that will go into this because a lot of questions that come in like um, how did you figure? How would you now. Still prints when you’re licensing. There’s still some um there still still a lot more information about how you can plan and you know price. But how do you do this when you’re working with clients. Um, how do you maintain a your originality and. Still find that balance between delivering something that a brand wants and still stay intact to who you are and what you want to create and then how how does you know writes to the work. How did you figure your prizing out. How did that pan out.

24:36.40
Naina
Yes.

24:50.19
Naina
So if you talk about pricing that took me quite some time to you know set a specific to put a prize on my art because I think that’s the hardest for any artist to do because only an artist can understand what the amount of hard work that goes into creating a piece but a lot of market research.

25:03.42
charukaarora
Um, yes.

25:09.13
Naina
Ah, first of all, you can’t have very competitive rates and you can’t be under charging as well. So I think of ah it’s just market so that you have to do you have to charge what other designers are charging as well like so but you can obviously add as you your experience increases.

25:24.38
charukaarora
Um, yeah.

25:28.38
Naina
And that’s what I did as well I think and apart from prizing when I’m working with the designer. So. It’s It’s ah it’s an entire design process right? if you ask me how I maintain my originality I’m very clear. For example. Are people who come up to me with another artist work and tell me you know I want to design like this I’m happy to can I’m I’m like okay you can connect with an artist and you know you can like I’m sure they’d be happy to license their work to you I would never steal someone’s aesthetic and create a collection like that. So um, most of the times it’s me who’s coming up with mood boards and ideas for the brand if not sometimes brands do have very specific briefs but then I set the illustration style I mostly set the colors and I think that is where my setting and my style comes in.

26:08.48
charukaarora
Okay.

26:22.22
Naina
For example, a brand would come to me saying I want to build a collection around a flash they poppy and then we would see different like different references. We would see the trend reports. You would see what’s happening in the runway we would see that the colorful cars and then.

26:22.48
charukaarora
Don’t care.

26:28.41
charukaarora
Um, talking.

26:36.89
charukaarora
Wow.

26:41.67
Naina
I would sort of tell them you know this is the illustration styles that I think could work with your brand and another thing that I have to keep in mind because I’m working with so many different kinds of brands that are in competition with each other in the same market. Yes.

26:45.25
charukaarora
Okay.

26:51.83
charukaarora
Nothing looks similar. Yeah yeah.

26:58.00
Naina
Come up with the collection that looks completely different from what the other person’s collection look like looks like I think that’s the biggest challenge for me and.

27:03.32
charukaarora
And then yeah, that’s also a good thing because let’s say if this is this this one brand that you work let’s swim with now you’ve also worked with multiple swimwere brands. Um, that could be like a com maybe probably would you work like with let’s say.

27:11.18
Naina
Yeah, yes.

27:20.79
charukaarora
2 or three swim we brand brand based in India or would that be like a competitor or something.

27:25.53
Naina
I would I would never say no to a project but I definitely would make sure if they’re 2 competitors and that that the princes don’t look anything like each other yeah because even if you go through my work. You would see a lot of different kinds of illustration styles.

27:34.26
charukaarora
Look alike. Yeah. Um, yeah.

27:42.77
Naina
Which I have sort of developed through the years and now I have a team with me as well. So I make use of them. Yeah, so I have people working under me, especially um, illustrations illustrators with different styles of illustration. Yeah, but um.

27:46.45
charukaarora
Um, well wow.

27:57.27
charukaarora
Styles. Yeah.

27:59.96
Naina
I I really have to sit and edit their work a lot to make it look like you know my aesthetic as well.

28:08.90
charukaarora
Let’s this is ah such a great point. Let’s also talk about now you figured this is what you wanted to do now comes again. The hard part especially for creatives like scaling in the business and then I think how did you get over the point where you were being the artist right? because I think we.

28:15.49
Naina
Yes.

28:22.27
Naina
Oh it was such a tough decision. Um I felt very wrong I was like yes I was like this is not right ethically because you know the client thinks I’ve made it but no, my intern has painted this.

28:24.60
charukaarora
The biggest struggle we didn’t want. We don’t want to let go.

28:34.10
charukaarora
Um, yeah.

28:38.81
Naina
But then I realized you know if I have to make a bit make business out of it if I have to expand my brand I can’t be doing everything on my own because painting every motif takes so much time and ah yeah I can’t be creating 20 prints in a month

28:49.32
charukaarora
So much time.

28:55.96
Naina
Just by myself. You know I need a team I need support but I make sure that whatever work my turns or and my team does I sit and edit it and make it look like me you know make it look like Nana Lumber textiles. So I think yeah.

29:10.66
charukaarora
Yeah.

29:14.85
Naina
All the digital work is done by me all the editing putting it into repeats. So the final look of the collection. The final colors that is all in my hands but the basics I think even the basic sketches. The basic references are given by me just the illustrations are done by my team. Yeah.

29:31.20
charukaarora
Execution. Yeah, and I think it’s also and I think it’s also something that we as teachers need to realize that um we can only do so much and creating physically we feel like the act of treatating physically is also like.

29:32.87
Naina
All the execution is done by me.

29:39.44
Naina
Um, yeah.

29:46.61
charukaarora
It’s just not that for me my podcast or the platform or the curations that I do and all of that is a ah, very big part of my own creative practice I know there is There are so many more people into it but the vision still remains yours.

30:02.27
Naina
PS.

30:03.79
charukaarora
The ideas is still yours. There’s so many people and to make a successful idea. Be someone. We sometimes need people who come with a specific skill set specific ah value that they can add and bringing all those elements together is again a job of a creator. So ultimately, even then.

30:20.15
Naina
Yes.

30:22.90
charukaarora
No matter if someone was also doing all the other work. The vision still remains yours.

30:25.84
Naina
Yes, that is so true I think you put it very well together I agree. So yeah, it was actually a very tough decision for me to hire and I’m still struggling with hiring someone full time because I will I feel like you know, um I can’t um.

30:40.58
charukaarora
You You don’t want to sit on someone’s like you you don’t want to sit with someone throughout the day.

30:43.91
Naina
I’m the sort of first I wouldn’t go to yeah that that and I I don’t like going to office every day I’ll be very honest sometimes I would just go to a Kafian work I I just yeah.

30:52.26
charukaarora
Oh big one work.

30:59.80
Naina
Like I’m I’m not an office person at all. So if hiring someone full time would be such a big responsibility of going getting to work at a specific time every day which I cannot do.

31:00.49
charukaarora
Yeah I can so relate to that? Yeah, but yeah, have you have you explored working virtually.

31:15.65
Naina
Yeah, all my ah my my team is all like working remotely. Yeah.

31:19.50
charukaarora
Virtual now. Yeah I think this is something that Covid has taught I think I Really really connect with what you’re saying because I just can’t I can’t feel like I have to be like sometimes I feel like I have recordings so many times then I have.

31:25.17
Naina
Yes, yes.

31:38.74
Naina
Yeah.

31:39.22
charukaarora
Calls and then I have to be in the studio and I feel like if I have to be stuck with like a location if I have to show up somewhere I don’t think I can do that for sure and I can’t do everything on my own is also a fact. So.

31:47.80
Naina
Yes, river.

31:55.31
charukaarora
Go Covid really helped me realize like you know I don’t I can still have people who can help grow and help things like put things together. But I don’t that does not mean it needs to stop me from who I am and how I work.

32:02.97
Naina
Yeah.

32:11.40
charukaarora
So working remotely having people like I have people who work remotely with me and I think that’s been such such a big blessing because it doesn’t like take away I think one of the biggest things we especially as creative feels especially when we’re growing is we feel like that growth should not take a way of freedom.

32:15.81
Naina
Yes.

32:27.15
Naina
Yes, I completely resonate with that statement because like I mentioned I love traveling I love just getting out and covid did make me a lot more grounded and I thought I couldn’t I I was under the ah. Impression that you know I can’t create without traveling but that completely changed in these past I think 2 to and a half years um but it’s been tough. It’s been a very tough shift but I would like to get back to the normal life. You know.

33:00.36
charukaarora
Charving. Okay, let’s also talk about your um your struggles one. What What was the hardest thing for you. Um, as I think a I really want to ask this as a woman in the business in. In the business of especially like you know fashion a lot of these creative fields. Even though if you see the bottom like schools and everything it’s densely populated with women. But when you go on the top. A lot of it. Successful. People are mostly men and I want to hear yours. Um.

33:20.65
Naina
And.

33:32.35
Naina
Yes.

33:37.66
charukaarora
Your experience in what early What were your biggest struggles while in in all these years while you were growing.

33:45.13
Naina
Um, let’s start with my I would start with my family. Um, there were a lot of questions about you know, um like my parents did always believe in me. But you know when they started like um I.

33:50.98
charukaarora
Yeah.

34:02.79
Naina
I have always been very quiet about what I’m doing right and they would suddenly see this big project that I did on Instagram and they would they would be like what when did you do that and you know and they would see me making big investments without you know, keeping them in the loop.

34:04.62
charukaarora
Um, okay.

34:18.80
charukaarora
Consulting. Yeah.

34:19.23
Naina
And yeah without consulting my dad and doing my taxes on my own and my dad would be like wow I did not expect that. So I think people don’t expect women to be financially independent, especially here in this especially in India so I think ah.

34:30.90
charukaarora
Um, especially in India.

34:38.13
Naina
That was ah one of the major challenges that I faced. Um other than that um I’ve I’ve been very lucky to have worked with so many female creators I love that about my job because every day I’m talking to New Designers Fashion Designers Interior designers

34:49.21
charukaarora
Um, yeah.

34:58.13
Naina
And you know women starting their own businesses are looking for people whoever starts like I think I have a lot of startup startups coming to me for Prince and I would say ah most of them are women so that really makes me happy and yeah, so that’s great I think I got to work with a lot of creative women.

35:04.71
charukaarora
Um, yeah. Oh wow.

35:18.00
Naina
And I feel like we’ve sort of built our community together and you know so I think that’s great and apart from that if I have to talk about my challenges. Of course I think trying to figure out my own style. What my aesthetic really is. Um, like I mentioned I was in the beginning I was doing projects that I’m not really very proud of now. But I think that was also just the learning stage and it was important for me but to set my style and you know what Nana Lamba text as as a brand is that took quite some time.

35:38.91
charukaarora
Yeah.

35:52.78
Naina
And I would say I did it all through Instagram um I still don’t upload posts that don’t go with my um, aesthetic I really choose what I have to post and I think that is why like I’ve really like I’ve really stopped posting a lot in these past few months with also because of and ndas because you but we’re not allowed to share most of the things we create so that’s sad, but and I don’t get to get a lot of time to do my personal projects anymore. But yeah, that and I think yeah, these are I think creating.

36:13.11
charukaarora
Um, yeah, yeah.

36:30.30
Naina
Your brand and you know setting a clientele and making people believe you know this can be alleged business I think apart from that I think yeah yeah I was just saying apart from that I think.

36:35.20
charukaarora
Yeah, yeah, can you also talk. Yeah, go go go no problem.

36:47.18
Naina
I’ve been very very lucky to have you know, entered the market at the right time you know when ah there was a lot of need for Prince actually in this country. Yes, yes, yes, now you see a lot of them coming up.

36:50.24
charukaarora
Yeah, yeah, you were one of the very early textile especially print centered designers here. Yeah.

37:03.81
Naina
I See a lot of my juniors getting into this field as well and I feel really glad that you know um I could inspire people to get into this field. So yeah, so I think yeah.

37:08.78
charukaarora
Yeah, absolutely you did amazing you. How did how has social media Instagram played a role in all of this for you I know. Ah.

37:22.31
Naina
I think hundred yeah not even ninety I would say hundred percent of my clients are through Instagram a little bit word of mouth word of mouth. Not not so much because clients don’t like to share their sources with other people. So it’s.

37:28.90
charukaarora
Um, wow.

37:38.27
charukaarora
Yeah, so can you would you share like some so anyone who’s listening things that work for you your lessons especially like now Instagram has become so much harder and just I mean it’s it’s.

37:39.16
Naina
All been Instagram for me.

37:51.88
Naina
Yeah, agreed, Ah, it’s hard to keep up. Yeah with go and the real you when I started out. It was a very simple platform I just created.

37:57.25
charukaarora
It’s still not. It’s not the same. Yeah, but anyways you, what do you have.

38:09.71
Naina
Print and I posted them and then you know people would question me saying how how can you just go and post your work ah work work online and you afraid of people copying you I was like that’s fine I’ve already created it I’ve already sold it and I’m posting it even if they do copy me’s fine I’ve moved on and have created another piece of work. It doesn’t matter.

38:19.25
charukaarora
Copying you.

38:28.14
Naina
And um I was just creating and posting and I was just working on my reach and getting more ah clients to um, you know, notice me online and um I used very specific hashtags. You know so. People in the in similar communities would notice me people of similar like textile design pages would repost my work and you know brands would get in touch with me and I think that is how I grew through Instagram I would really spend a lot of time you know doing a lot of research and going through pages that would you know help. Promote my work That’s how I started and now it’s ah it’s become very hard and it’s very demotivating when you know you’re posting once in a week or once in like ten days and you’re not getting the rees that you want because it’s just so full of people and content creators and people creating real and. There’s just so much happening that your works just gets lost so it’s disheartening but I still haven’t you know stopped getting clients from Instagram and I hope that continues. Um, yeah so I would say that’s really really helped me.

39:25.56
charukaarora
Now.

39:32.72
charukaarora
Yeah.

39:39.10
charukaarora
Amazing now. Um, you are now just not like um um, you started out as let’s say a textile designer. But now you run like a full flat it 10 our textile design studio right? Um, let’s say.

39:54.79
Naina
Be it.

39:58.47
charukaarora
Someone who’s running the studio. Um, Also who’s also been um, who also does create on your own anyone who’s who wants to get let’s say I know a lot of artists. Um, especially in the fine Arts area. They want to create ways to. You know sell their work take their work to a wider audience and find more ways to actually make money out of their work and I think this is such such a great way to do it. So What would be your um, can you maybe break it down in a few steps like let’s say um.

40:29.32
Naina
Yes.

40:37.91
charukaarora
How to figure out. Let’s say probably what can be a good print Then how do they get started do should they like probably put together like a body of work I mean can you maybe let’s say I am an artist I I have let’s say yeah.

40:52.17
Naina
Okay, and you want self wins.

40:56.66
charukaarora
Now Can you help me break this down. How do I get started I just feel like anyone who’s listening now they have a few steps that can get them going like.

40:59.57
Naina
Hello. Yeah.

41:06.91
Naina
Okay, so ah, you’re an artist and you have a piece of art that you want to sell as a print um to become a designer. It’s very very important to have technical knowledge. Ah so I would say do your research at my time there wasn’t a lot available online.

41:17.92
charukaarora
Yes.

41:25.69
Naina
But now with skillshare and with so many websites coming in you can and especially with the photoshop upgrade. It’s it’s you don’t really need to work to make repeats. It’s It’s an automatic software does it for you when I started I had to set each and every repeat each and every size it was a very very technical process.

41:26.88
charukaarora
Yes.

41:32.70
charukaarora
Um, is yeah yeah.

41:44.92
Naina
And especially with the ipad coming in and procreate digitization has become so so easy. Ah so it’s just these are just skills that you can learn online in a day now instead of you know as opposed to what I did in university for 4 years and then one way of in masters and you know.

41:46.11
charukaarora
Yeah, procreate.

41:56.47
charukaarora
Yeah.

42:04.84
Naina
Setting repeats from scratch doing all the handwork and scanning it and cleaning it it I would say it. It took me hours to create a print like 3 is three years ago and with technology coming in I can create a print and like I have all the elements ready and it takes me baly 10 minutes to do it.

42:07.88
charukaarora
Oh my God I can’t.

42:15.10
charukaarora
You know.

42:22.92
Naina
So if you have the technical knowledge. Um, it’s very, um, it’s very important to understand repeats. You asked me what a good print means to me I would say a print where you can’t figure out what the repeat is it should just be fluid and your eyes should just you know your eyes should just move.

42:35.41
charukaarora
Okay.

42:41.85
Naina
And not get stuck in a specific place if that’s happening that means the print is distracting and it needs to be more balanced. So um, you definitely need to have the knowledge of repeats because when you put the print on a product and you want it to look pretty.

42:49.40
charukaarora
Okay.

43:01.19
Naina
Ah, it’s the technical details that make it so seamless. So with that knowledge and if I think artists and that there are 2 kind of prints right? There’s a repeat print that I’m talking about and then there’s a placement like an engineered pattern if you if.

43:04.46
charukaarora
Um, yeah.

43:13.33
charukaarora
Repeated. Yeah, that yeah.

43:20.45
Naina
And artist want to wants to like go ahead and create their own collection of placement prints. Then I think you can just work with a bigger canvas and just for example, if you have like ah 40 by 40 canvas just place it on a dress then I think this after the repeat and after the fluidity I would say colors.

43:27.11
charukaarora
Um, yeah.

43:38.57
charukaarora
Um, okay yeah.

43:40.31
Naina
I Think Colors make a big break. The print you don’t have to be an artist. You don’t have to have crazy sketching and drawing skills to create a print. It could just be something very simple and very abstract if the colors are attractive the prints which surely sell and the colors and of course to sell the colors need to be on trend.

43:49.60
charukaarora
Um, yes, yeah. Yeah, trend research you know this is so well put said like I I just I don’t want to interrupt but I want to say something while I was in my third year of college.

43:59.98
Naina
Like you need to do your trend and research as well I think yeah and then the third.

44:09.66
Naina
Yes.

44:15.76
charukaarora
Like I was doing fashion so we were working I was working with future as a industry project in future groups and we again we did one segment which was print and we would I mean because future groups and all um, all mass fashion brands are heavily dependent on prints.

44:19.77
Naina
Okay, okay.

44:34.42
charukaarora
Remember like we were given a brief that we did. We had to do trains and everything we were taught how to do all of this but in us, you know you know, let’s say um, in just one semester and why you I’m sharing this because you just said that you don’t have to have like this technical like you don’t have to have the perfection. Remember two days before I didn’t know I just didn’t know what to do I was like I didn’t I had no clue. They had no brief. They were like you know you just need to create prince and create hundred and you know like fashion school they would tell you like art schools make hundred sketches make 200 sketches make this and that and I would do that.

45:07.72
Naina
Yeah I hate that.

45:13.40
charukaarora
And you know what happened in that process. We didn’t have ipad at that point. Um I was using photoshop and I justcribbled I just scribbled and I scribbled with different brushtoke like typical um brush from photoshop and I just scribbled and I had like.

45:17.50
Naina
No.

45:28.44
Naina
Um.

45:32.72
charukaarora
It big. It started to become like with I I don’t know maybe I use 1020 s different colors and I just knew I had 1 hour to submit and I needed to do something I just needed to do something so I was like let me just put this out and I’ll just I I felt and I think this is another mental shift.

45:41.44
Naina
O o.

45:51.71
charukaarora
For us. We think something when we spend hours on days on months on then it is a good project then it is a good work something we’re just doing out of Vim. Yeah and we we feel like and I felt like I was like for me it was a deadline I needed to close because I didn’t know what to do I was like let me just submit this.

45:55.59
Naina
I agree I Completely agree.

46:09.94
charukaarora
Apparently I couldn’t I just couldn’t show up for my submission like my when a faculty and the team was coming I think I was a while late or something and when I came in I was like um people were really like oh this is this is what a good print makes and I entered into the class.

46:17.96
Naina
Men.

46:28.69
charukaarora
And I I just and I was like I’m going to get a bash because I said like I sent a print which which had just brush strokes like an abstract pattern and I was like my my my faculty is going to kill me like you know you don’t didn’t even put an effort and I had this this um future group team sitting here and they’re like this is a good print.

46:33.35
Naina
Jesus.

46:48.24
charukaarora
And I looked at the print and I was like oh my god this is my friend and that was like and what you know what they said through this is the smartest print from the entire submissions because this person hasn’t spent more than 10 minutes and has made a seamless pattern so I just like you said like you know, sometimes it’s.

46:56.34
Naina
Yes.

47:07.79
charukaarora
It’s not that you have to be good at drawing or good at this or that or whatever. It’s just this. It’s just this urge to create in whatever way you create. It could be as basic as a brush stroke.

47:08.73
Naina
Yes.

47:17.73
Naina
Yes, I’ll tell you a little secret though I was never good at art or drawing I I think it was yeah it I think it was in my masters when I really started practicing and started drawing and yeah I think.

47:24.80
charukaarora
Really doesn’t seem like that.

47:37.46
charukaarora
Yeah.

47:37.54
Naina
It was practice that you know gave me otherwise I wasn’t a born artist I really had to I think that was also one of my major struggles I really had to practice my way into being a good artist I was always creative. But yeah.

47:48.75
charukaarora
Wow, That’s so nice to hear because a lot of notions like this. Absolutely Absolutely I think nobody is I think any scale be it a creative skill or any skill. It’s ah it’s a practice that makes it a skill nothing else and.

47:56.51
Naina
Yes, okay.

48:02.92
Naina
Yes, yes, and read.

48:08.80
charukaarora
You know when someone asked me like I don’t know I mean of course art school and all of these things matter. But I think for me, my foundation of let’s say someone who spends 1 year on a skill I spent a month or two when I was able to grab that skill at a faster rate. It’s because I spent my entire childhood in those negligible moments I spend like all majority of my time just scribbling just doodling just painting even if it meant like botanical biology studies in my course books or like summer vacations and like going for calligraphy classes.

48:33.30
Naina
Yeah.

48:45.11
Naina
Yes.

48:45.88
charukaarora
Like I just spend out of Hobby out of love out of just just because I want I never went to ah an an art school but I was still making and learning every day so that accounts like our hours.

48:53.63
Naina
A.

49:03.24
charukaarora
It’s just not your color understanding I’m sure is not with you going only to an art school Honestly, if you still ask me I may not be I may not be able to answer a lot more like technical answers and it comes to who what compliment you or how what this combination. But if you pick.

49:07.40
Naina
The s.

49:17.54
Naina
Yeah.

49:21.46
charukaarora
If you put colors in front of me I can mix the right colors for you I can experiment and play because that’s how I I grew up like I work by Instinct a lot more and I’m sure your your color stance is really great I I’ve been seeing your work and I’m sure it’s just not school. It’s.

49:24.16
Naina
Yeah, and. With you? Yeah, it’s instinctive and or blackness. Yes.

49:40.53
charukaarora
Beyond that it’s like it’s like how I can see your background how you’ve put together like clashing prints or like your your plant clashing your so far like you know things like that that you build every day as a creative practicing. And improvising and then learning and then just putting it back into our work. Okay, so let’s say I have my print ready. Okay now what do I do But? How should I How should I take my work out there and how do I find someone who.

50:03.77
Naina
Yes. Yeah, yeah.

50:19.37
charukaarora
Would want to take my print off would want to make me to make up things for them. What are the places I can start with how do I upload I mean not upload as him where can I share my work.

50:27.41
Naina
So I think we are so there’s quite a few websites so available like patent bank like I’ve mentioned is solely for selling prints and then there’s a lot of other websites like society 6 and Redbubble where you can sell your prince as products.

50:39.62
charukaarora
Now start.

50:44.13
Naina
So You can have your own marketplace and ah post your prints and they would make products out of of your prints and directly sell it to the Customer. So Those are two ways and um I went the patent bank way because I. Not want to get into default in any kind of product I just wanted you to sell my art and my parents. So I think though other than that ah you can always create your own product line. Um, you have your print in hand you can.

51:09.39
charukaarora
Now.

51:15.59
Naina
Choose how you want to execute it What kind of printing you want to get into whether it’s digital. It’s green. It’s a block whatever works best for your piece of work and yes you can just and there’s there’s no limit to creating any with print specially like.

51:20.75
charukaarora
Yeah.

51:32.84
Naina
If I talk about myself I worked with jewelry I worked with footwear I worked with diapers I’ve worked with longry I worked with S Swimert so I feel like there’s no product that I haven’t touched so from bedding to clothes to everything. There’s just so much you can do with prints.

51:38.10
charukaarora
Um, wow.

51:52.35
Naina
Literally see prints everywhere every day in your life.

51:53.78
charukaarora
Yes, that’s true and more and more as we are going forward in time like that’s only growing if anything else. Okay, last last question to this step which is let’s say I have found where I want to do.

51:58.92
Naina
Yeah, yes, yes.

52:10.90
charukaarora
What is your advice on how someone who’s just starting out and who wants to dip their hands into prints and licensing and commissions like these working with brands your tips are pricing.

52:23.43
Naina
Okay, so like I mentioned don’t overcharge and don’t undercharge do your market Research. See why you stand in the Market. That’s very important and have that confidence when whenever you’re quoting your price and you know always back up your back back yourself up with you know, but when I. Whenever a client questions you you know? Ah why? Why are you charging this must you should. You should be confident in answering and you know this is what the market rates are this is what my experience is and you know this is what I bring to the table you have to be very very confident while coating and I used to Undercharge for most of my career.

52:56.12
charukaarora
Yeah.

53:02.79
Naina
But now I’ve taken a stand if you know if my prices don’t work for you. Um, that’s that’s okay, maybe you know maybe in a few years when your brand has grown. We can ah collaborate again. But ah, don’t let the client bargain because I don’t let anyone bargain with me when it comes to art.

53:05.65
charukaarora
Yeah.

53:12.55
charukaarora
Um, yeah.

53:22.48
Naina
Because I know how much time I spend making it how much hard work goes into it and I think it’s It’s very hard to honestly prize your work. It was very hard for me because you know when you create this beautiful print and just how can you just sell it to someone else. It.

53:37.47
charukaarora
Um, yeah.

53:40.17
Naina
Especially yeah, when that when that girl from Dominican Republic came to me and she was account to buy the entire collection I was excited about the same time I was like but I created that I don’t want this print to belong to anyone else. It’s mine. You know you get possessive about it but you have to let go of that and.

53:51.42
charukaarora
Um, and yeah.

53:59.79
Naina
Ah I think once you you do your research, you’ll know where you stand and you’ll know how much you you, you’ll have you your print should cost.

54:07.81
charukaarora
Yeah, and what about your thoughts on also safeguarding yourself and your rights as a creator when you’re working with brands collaborations making sure that setting boundaries like you know I know that a lot of people like when they license. Um. You know they work like let’s say they set a production time units or sometimes they say that Okay, this print can only be used for so and so yours or like do you do have like anything any advices on things like those.

54:35.15
Naina
Yeah. So I have a very basic contract that I give to my clients and if it’s a big brand that I work in me, they would present me with a contract that I have to agree. So I think it’s first of all, it’s very important to have a contract so you know both of you are and on the same page and.

54:55.32
charukaarora
Um, yeah.

54:58.67
Naina
Secondly, it’s very important that you start working you don’t start working without an advance because I’ve done that when I started out I’ve made the ah that that there’s been times when I’ve made the entire collection and the ah you know the brand has just.

55:03.38
charukaarora
Yeah, yes.

55:15.26
Naina
But run away or you know, not yeah Van and so that happens all is happening is starting out.

55:15.95
charukaarora
Vanished.

00:00.00
charukaarora
Yes, we can go at.

00:00.20
Naina
I Think yes, yes, we are talking about Contract. So I’ve drafted a very simple one as I mentioned and if as I mentioned as if it’s a big brand they themselves give me a contract and it’s very important to be ah. On the same lines when you’re working and I was also mentioning that it’s very important to to take an advance before you start working? Yeah so I made made the mistake of not doing that when I started out and a lesson learned the hard way. But of course it was a learning Journey. So.

00:24.50
charukaarora
Um, yeah, absolute yeah I think this we all make we all make.

00:38.16
Naina
No regrets there. But yes, yes, because you know when you get a new project. You’re all excited and you know yeah for me money is the last thing especially when I started out mine was the last thing in my mind and I was just excited to create. But.

00:43.35
charukaarora
Um, excited. Um, yeah.

00:55.12
Naina
And guess not anymore. Yeah, it’s very important to be professional when it comes. Yeah.

00:56.14
charukaarora
Yeah, yeah, and also being e I mean I think sometimes we are so excited about creating that we let people take advantage of ourselves um of our enthusiasm and our passion but we all we all. We all deserve to be fairly paid and respected and being paid for a work is a respect like someone’s done a job for you. Okay, my last question before we go into the rapid file. What are what is your vision with Nana Lamba Design Studios what

01:16.33
Naina
Yes. Yes I Ugly yes, completely.

01:33.15
charukaarora
What is your dream about it.

01:33.98
Naina
So of course to have a huge textile design studio with a full time team hopefully soon and do the trade shows like ah that I mentioned like premier vision in Paris and ample frankfford and.

01:42.60
charukaarora
Yes.

01:52.34
Naina
Ah, the print shows that happen because I want to be able to exhibit on a global platform and I want the world to see my prints and I like I want people to see my prints I know that you know they Nanalaba prints. So I think that is the vision that I have.

02:06.44
charukaarora
Um, lovely I’m sure it’ll happen I’m sure I’m very sure about that. Also you have 1 of the most adorable studios in Delhi.

02:17.91
Naina
Thank you I Really had a lot of fun creating it.

02:22.22
charukaarora
Are you still like is it is it like a home studio or it’s like a separate space.

02:25.69
Naina
Ah, no, no, it’s a separate space and I share the space with my mom so she has her office and then another room is my studio and yeah, so it’s it’s just 10 minutes away from home. So it’s convenient.

02:40.56
charukaarora
Oh Wow How does it feel to be working with your mom in the same space.

02:45.50
Naina
Um, she’s busy with her work I barely get to see her. It’s and up it’s It’s the same building but um, it’s it’s good, especially after being married, it’s great to be able to see her every day. Yes.

02:49.13
charukaarora
Oh yeah, yeah that I’m sure that would be something that you would really enjoy amazing.

03:03.34
Naina
Yes I do enjoy that. So yeah lunchtimes are together. So I think yeah, it’s it’s great.

03:08.48
charukaarora
Oh Wow and how often do you go to your studio. How does your regular work life looks like.

03:15.12
Naina
I try to go to my studio as much as I can to be honest, but sometimes I work from home as well. Ah, but there are days when I have to attend meetings and I’m just you know shuffling ah between meetings but whenever I get the time whenever I have to. You know, be in isolation and really create that is when I make sure that I you know go to my studio but it does happen like 3 3 or 4 times a week which is not bad.

03:35.30
charukaarora
Yeah.

03:40.69
charukaarora
Okay, yeah, absolutely and I think with with running a business and making sure everything in place I think we all need to find and strike a balance between creating and then putting it out there.

03:50.10
Naina
And a yeah.

03:56.48
charukaarora
Amazing Menna thank you so much I really appreciate this one hour quickly and bye and I am so grateful. Thank you so much. But we have the rapid fire left. Okay are you ready and you have to be me.

04:00.60
Naina
Ah, yes, this is amazing. Okay, yes, yes I am.

04:15.76
charukaarora
What comes to your mind First there’s no right and wrong. You have to be quick. Okay, so here we go 1 thing you want to convey through your work in the arts.

04:27.92
Naina
1 thing I want sorry always was breaking off.

04:30.56
charukaarora
1 thing you want to convey through your work in the arts.

04:34.37
Naina
I Just want to spread a lot of color.

04:37.64
charukaarora
That you’re doing very well. What’s that 1 word that describes you the best.

04:43.31
Naina
Ah, again, color.

04:47.43
charukaarora
If you could have a studio anywhere in the world where you where it would be.

04:52.57
Naina
I think Aruba where you see a lot of flammingos just you know at a beat. Yeah, just a tro. Yeah, a tropical island somewhere.

04:58.97
charukaarora
It would feel like your your work and your environment has blended.

05:09.99
charukaarora
Who’s who’s your favorite woman artist designer.

05:12.68
Naina
Ah, currently I’m following this artist on Instagram ah her she’s an illustrator named Katie Scott and she’s she does these beautiful botanical illustrations I love her work. Yeah yes.

05:20.78
charukaarora
Okay, really I have to check her out Who’s your who’s your go to person where you when you’re in trouble or in need of advice am amazing. What.

05:31.55
Naina
Ah, my husband.

05:38.21
charukaarora
Okay, I’m sure there must have been many and this is a little bit like a you don’t have to be 1 word. Can you share 1 moment. Sorry okay this is a little. Yeah, this is a little bit more than 1 word I’m sure there must have been many moments that you see over.

05:42.86
Naina
Ah, your voice is breaking off can can you just repeat that. Okay.

05:57.40
charukaarora
Being an artist and designer and then you know doing the work that you’re doing can you share like 1 experiences out of those that you felt really like that that that euphoria and that moment like you feel very grateful for who you are.

06:03.94
Naina
Over the moon. Yes, oh I have to tell you about this. So so me and my best friend we follow this Spanish art singer I don’t know if you’ve heard of Malluma and he’s been his biggest fans. Ah, and.

06:17.20
charukaarora
Um, okay.

06:23.79
Naina
You know I work with this brand in Miami who does they do resort war and the 2 of ah like ah quard sets for men and women and and they’ve ah we started the brand together and they’ve really really grown and. I wake up one day and I’m going through my Instagram and I so I click on marooma story and I see him wearing my print and I called up my best friend if that was just that was just it for me I was like you know this is what I I did I started this business. It was just I think ah.

06:47.64
charukaarora
Um, oh Wow. Only.

06:59.84
Naina
I felt ecstatic and I had to share it with my best friend and we would just both of us just we call each other and maybe sp creaming we will look poluized wearing and then there was George Jos and then there’s a lot of different international artists and singers that I’ve seen wearing my work. So.

07:04.77
charukaarora
Um, so um.

07:16.71
charukaarora
Oh Wow I’m sure that would make you like E static every time that you would see that love me.

07:18.82
Naina
That makes me really proud I guess yes and it’s funny because he’s repeated the outfit like at least 4 times and you don’t see celebrities doing that. Yeah.

07:31.87
charukaarora
Repeating that so I’m sure he’s that is like that’s his favorite 1 of his favorite or something we can take that for granted. Okay, um, if you want to meet younger nana today.

07:36.18
Naina
Yeah, it’s.

07:46.51
charukaarora
What advice would you give her.

07:47.33
Naina
I would spend more time creating art and doing creative work.

07:54.63
charukaarora
Lovely, Okay, shout out to an artist who you are currently loving especially on social media like someone you found via social media.

08:03.31
Naina
Ah up I like I mentioned Katie Scott I’m obsessing over her work right now she does botanical illustrations and it’s beautiful.

08:06.21
charukaarora
Um, yeah. I Have to check I have to check. Okay, last question as a woman artist creative on chip Now. What’s that one advice you want to give to people who are coming especially women who are coming up starting following and you know coming behind you.

08:26.76
Naina
I Think it’s very important to have your own aesthetic your own voice and to be confident about your work and if you’re confident and you know what you’re doing I’m sure you’ll get there. You’ll achieve whatever you want and be successful.

08:43.28
charukaarora
Oh Wow! Love that advice. That’s it. You were so good and such a pro. Thank you so much Nana Really I Really appreciate this same here same year I’m so glad. Um, we are.

08:48.86
Naina
Ah, thank you. This was so much fun. Thank you Charka This was amazing. So do I This was a lot of fun.

09:02.74
charukaarora
I’ve been following you for so long and I’ve seen you literally grown your your business and everything your work I’ve seen literally bloom you by Instagram and it it finally have you right in front of me, especially for now across the screen. But I’m sure we’ll catch up.

09:12.49
Naina
Yes.

09:21.48
charukaarora
Luckily someone I can say I can catch up in real time now in Delhi. Yes, yes, absolutely. But thank you so much. Oh I I was waiting for that invitation now that I now that I have it I’m going to chance like.

09:22.75
Naina
Ah, yes, we should definitely do that. You have to visit my studio Hello we will yes.

09:39.17
charukaarora
I’m going to just bump upon that chance for sure I am coming? Yes, let’s do that. Let’s do that. But okay, every man who’s listening to this night. Um, um, how do they find you where can they find you where they can support. You do you have anything upcoming that you know.

09:40.78
Naina
I Guess we will We plan that soon. Yes, done. Yes, yes.

09:57.81
charukaarora
We can support you in any new projects that you want to share with us. Let us know whatsapp.

10:01.51
Naina
Ah yes I have been working on a lot of exciting projects but they’ll all be up on my Instagram so you can just go follow me there. My um Instagram handle is na alamba textiles and everything that I do would be up there.

10:11.41
charukaarora
Um, okay.

10:19.40
charukaarora
Perfect. So Instagram is the best way.

10:20.33
Naina
And very bad I am reading my portfolio so here Instagram is the best way.

10:25.10
charukaarora
We all can relate to that amazing. Thank you so much nanna it was such a pleasure you truly I had such your great time and thank you so much for recording this episode at like middle of the night. It’s twelve thirty zero m

10:27.40
Naina
Yes. Thank each Outica see him error so today that’s okay I guess that’s okay.

10:44.91
charukaarora
So I really appreciate this and I will hopefully see you soon in person and and we’ll have you bigger better back again soon. I’m sure with some like really big collaboration then and I’ll pull you back again.

10:49.38
Naina
Yes, we we will plan that soon? Yep Yes, thank and yes, hopefully.

11:03.77
charukaarora
Perfect. Yes yes I’m sure. Thank you I Hope you have a good night. My.

11:06.50
Naina
Okay, thank you Sarah ah you to bye.

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