Neeta Lulla: An Iconic Fashion Designer


Neeta Lulla is a distinguished fashion professional as well as one of the most celebrated figures in India’s fashion industry. She is a successful designer who specializes in breath−taking costumes.

Biography

Neeta Lulla was born in Mumbai on March 5, 1965 (she will be 55 in 2020). Pisces is her horoscope sign. She was raised in Ahmedabad. When she was at school, she was a tom girl who had little interest in academics. Instead of reading books, she favored extracurricular activities. While her mother fretted over her grades, her father supported her participation in athletics. Her father purchased her the then−popular biannual magazines “Seventeen” and “Cosmopolitan” when she was in high school to encourage her reading habit (which were available only in selected stores). She gradually developed an interest in fashion and styling as a result of the magazines’ depictions of the synergy between Bollywood and fashion. One strategy is to avoid a high school diploma and a college degree.

Neeta made the decision to get married in order to forgo a high school diploma and a college degree. Her spouse, though, asked her to finish school after they got married. She subsequently made the decision to enroll in Mumbai’s SNDT University’s Diploma in Pattern Making and Garment Manufacture program. Hemant Trivedi nurtured her in make−up, fashion choreography, and styling events at her college.

Contribution to the Fashion Industry

Throughout the history of her career, Neeta has collaborated with numerous Indian film directors and styled costumes and attire for the Indian film industry. She has received widespread acclaim for her stylistic contributions to films, including Chandni, Roop ki Rani, Choron ka Raja, Taal, Jeans, Lamhe, Khal Nayak, Kisna, Aaina, Khuda Gawah, Jodha Akbar, and Devdas, among others. Neeta is also recognized for creating the looks of a number of the nation’s top actresses, including Juhi Chawla, Priyanka Chopra, Kareena Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, and Deepika Padukone. She has dressed some of the most well−known actors, such as Hrithik Roshan, Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, and Rajnikanth. In this way, her fashion house has contributed to more than 300 films in more than seven languages for both domestic and foreign cinemas.

Journey to the Top

Neeta Lulla decided to pursue a career in fashion at the age of 16, graduating in 1985 with a degree in dressmaking and apparel construction from Premlila Vithaldas Polytechnic SNDT University in Mumbai, India. She then went on to work with renowned fashion choreographer Jeanne Naoroji. Three years later, she made the switch to designing costumes for Bollywood movies, sometimes putting in 72 hours straight. She was always the epitome of creativity, quiet determination, and hard work. When she wasn’t designing, she was giving back to the industry that had given her so much by teaching at her alma mater.

Her celebrity in Hollywood spread as a result of her work on more than three hundred films, and she created the costumes for “One Night with the King” and “Mistress of Spices.” Neeta Lulla started her couture line and furthered her brand’s diversification by building on her accomplishments in costume design by offering trousseau consulting to upcoming newlyweds. Her main store opened in Mumbai in 2005 and offered trousseau consulting, bridal couture, and diffusion clothing. She had developed a distribution network spanning five continents by 2009. In 2016, she opened her second flagship in New Delhi, India, in response to escalating demand for her collections.

Early Days

Neeta Lulla initially wanted to be a choreographer, but her eye for exquisite fabrics, exquisite embellishments, and amazing design, along with her inherent creativity, changed her destiny and allowed her to become one of India’s most well−known designers. Herman Trivedi, a designer, hired her as his assistant when she first began her career. After that, she collaborated alongside Jeannie Naoroji, a fashion choreographer, and a few more possibilities that presented themselves allowed Neeta to find her own inner designer. Neeta Lulla got access to Bollywood thanks to big names like Subhash Ghai, Yash Chopra, and Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Neeta thinks that there is a significant distinction between designing apparel for everyday use and making costumes.

Achievements

Neeta Lulla has dressed important historical and epic television productions in India as well as commercials and musicals. Additionally, she has showcased her prêt−a−porter and couture collections at numerous Indian and international fashion shows.

Neeta has received a number of honors and prizes for her exceptional accomplishments, including the National Film Award for Best Costume Design for Lamhe, Devdas, Jodha Akbar, and Balgandharva in 1991, 2002, 2009, and 2012, respectively. In addition, she received the IIFA Best Costume Design Award in 2000 and 2009, the Zee Cine Award for Best Costume Designer in 2003, the Bollywood Movie Award in 2011 and the Kingfisher Fashion Award in 2005. Several people throughout the world have fallen in love with her classic yet modern designs, and she has produced many iconic looks.

Her Preference

Neeta Lulla’s fashion inspiration is Meryl Streep because of the sensual, exquisite way she wears, according to Neeta, making a statement without being extravagant. She liked the cut and structure of Prada’s clothing, making it her favorite brand. Neeta’s preferred fashion designer is Alexander McQueen, since she considers him to be a creative genius. A scent in one’s life is almost always necessary for a designer to be considered complete. Even if she doesn’t produce any, Neeta likes a few, such as Angel by Thierry Mugler. The fashion designer calls herself a thrifty shopper who avoids overspending. Without a watch among her personal accessories, how can one busy individual keep track of the time? Neeta prefers to wear Cartier watches because they offer a wide range of designs, from extravagant to traditional. Her list of favorite things, people, and places also includes the atmosphere and salads of the restaurant Yauatcha. Rome, a city rich in history, is her favorite vacation spot.

Conclusion

From being a design student to creating bridal couture and costumes for movies to starting a fashion school, one of the few fashion designers from India, Neeta Lulla, has completed the circle. She is soft−spoken and modest, but she has received National Awards for costume designs in big−budget movies and is now a name to be taken seriously. Neeta Lulla is currently enhancing the value of her brand through the growth of her label, costume creation for blockbuster movies, and the Whistling Woods Neeta Lulla School of Fashion.

Updated on: 27-Oct-2022

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