Fashion in a tea cup

While high-tea conjures images of snooty British women sipping tea from delicate chinaware, We asked Nida how she added spunk to the collection. "I took the concept and made it very desi by including desi street elements like roadside tea shops, the ambience on an Indian street, the people and so on. I was inspired by something as mundane as chai."

Talking about her foray into Pune, Nida says, "Pune is a very receptive market as it is right next to Mumbai and a lot of people are open to quirky ideas. However, not much is going on in Pune which is why people have to travel to Mumbai for buying stuff like this. Roheena Nagpal, owner of Atelier, had seen my work and this project was in the pipeline for almost six months. The festive season offered the perfect timing as it is a great season to come to Pune. Also the ambience of the store is lovely which is why I didn't choose a regular boutique for showcasing my collection."

Talking about her synergy with Roheena, Nida says, "We have a synergy between our thoughts. She has a very interesting store that does a lot of exciting artistic work and it is perfect for my debut in Pune."u00a0We asked her whether she is planning to set up shop in Pune or using the city in her future collections, Nida says, "I don't know when or if I would start my own boutique in Pune but I would definitely consider using the city as my muse for a collection."

Finally, what are her plans for the future, "There is a lot going on at the moment. I just attended the INK conference which is an extremely prestigious conference. I have some interesting ideas and I am keeping very busy," she concludes.u00a0So, go ahead and splurge on quirky designs on apparel, accessories, home d ufffdcor and knick knacks that will be displayed at the store.u00a0