Interview with Ayesha Khanna of Naurah USA
Naurah is one of the emerging fashion line of New York owned by Ayesha Khanna who was one of the talented designers to catch eyes in New York Fashion Week 2018. Ayesha debut in her fashion show career as a FYID designer showcase. Find more about Ayesha Khanna as we interviewed her to know about her experience as a debut designer in NYFW 2018.
Q: What is your brand focus?
A: “My brand Naurah is basically an indo-western line, we design custom made pieces and we’ve launched a bridal couture line as well so when there’s an occasion and people are looking for party wears, they can come to us.”
Q: That sounds great! So when you say people, what is your target market?
A: “Our target market is women from the age of 20 and 20 plus. We have a very practical approach for women in New York, I know they love the traditional Indian pieces but I give them a western touch and create something that I know they would love.”
Q: Oh so are you target customers mostly Indian?
A: “No, not at all. You would see that even the fashion shows and photo-shoots we do, our models are all American and diverse. We have created this brand for the people of New York so we want to portray it as an American brand because our target audience is a non-indian audience and that is the reason why you would see a variety in our customers. We wanna be as global and as inclusive as possible. We have planned on launching kid’s collection as well.”
Q: That’s a great news! So are you planning on launching it soon?
A: “Our main focus currently is women’s wear, so we’re working on that right now but we even have a lot of men coming up to us with a demand of man’s collecting. So in future we would definitely have something for men and the kids.”
Q: Well that is amazing, Good luck with that. Would you like to share of NYFW experience with us? How was it and how do you think it impacted your brand?
A: “NYFW was an eye opener for me! It was like my first ever fashion show of course and it was amazing. Our brand got great exposure and recognition, from other designers who’ve been in the industry for so long. From makeup artists and to model, everybody loved and appreciated our work. It definitely had a very positive impact on our brand.”
Q: That’s great! So you would say Naurah was now known more by the customers on your social media pages?
A: “Definitely! We still upload pictures from NYFW and people love it. It was something I did to get feedback and to know where my brand stands. Even though backstage was so hectic, the final result was totally worth it. We got featured in magazines, journals and our brand gained more followers, the impact was positive for sure.”
Q: What challenges do you face in your work?
A: “I think the biggest challenge we face is that our work is not local, maintaining an oversees production is the most challenging part as our production house is in India. “
Q: Oh so your shop is located in New York but your production house is based in India?
A: “Yes! Everything we do from our labor to our material, it all comes from India and obviously there’s a good cost to that as well. We don’t want to sell something very expensive to our customer so we cut the cost from our labor and material. Living in one country and having the production in a country where there’s a difference in time zone and everything is different is a challenging part about my job. Also I have to manage my other businesses as well, so that makes it more challenging.”
Q: Oh wow, you have other businesses as well?
A: “Oh Yeah! I am a choreographer, that is my first job and designing is my second job. I have my own Choreography school known as Bollywoodfunknyc which is going pretty well. Right now my focus is on expanding Naurah.”
Q: Amazing! You’ve got a lot of talent. What do you think is the best part about being a designer?
A: “I have never considered myself as a designer, I’m a creative worker. I get inspired by what I see and create something I believe people would love.”
Q: Lastly, What do you feel have been your biggest achievements so far?
A: “I don’t think i’ve reached that yet. I think everything I’ve done till now is an achievement. For me, Starting this brand itself is a great achievement but I won’t consider it as my biggest achievement. I’m on the right path but I still have a lot more to do in life. “
We’re happy to announce that Ayesha will be a part of this year's Fashion Week as well and we are really excited to see what she plans for that! Stay tuned to find out more and stay updated with our upcoming events. The next FYID Fashion Show takes place this year in Milan on September 22 and in New York on September 6th.
