“Musicians have a lot of eyes on them” – how young British designers are getting their work noticed
Nikita Karizma, who has dressed Paris Hilton, Rita Ora and Little Mix, shares how to make it as a young designer in Britain.
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Your support makes all the difference.“The big moment we had with Paris [Hilton], was when she wore one of our designs with Kim [Kardashian], because it went so globally viral,” says British-Indian fashion designer, Nikita Karizma.
“It was a shock to the system – but in a really positive way.”
Having graduated with a degree in fashion design and development from the London College of Fashion, Nikita Karizma knew she wanted to start her own label, but also understood how difficult it would be.
“There’s a lot of eyes on the talent coming out of London and British fashion schools.
“But it takes time to craft a signature aesthetic.”
Luckily, while Karizma was finding her feet working in a studio above her family’s saree shop in Wembley, an opportunity came knocking.
“It was the stylist Laury Smith who scouted me,” says Karizma, “She was working on the X Factor, and at the time was Nicole Scherzinger’s stylist.
“Little Mix were preparing at Wembley Arena. So I think [Laury’s] vision was that because they were in Wembley supporting young musicians, they also wanted to support young fashion designers from the local area.”
It was in 2011 that Karizma began working with musicians, and she soon understood the reach they had.
“I took to ?2,000 [worth of] orders. One was for Little Mix through the X Factor, and the second one was for JLS.
“I started to realise that the entertainment industry was quite a close-knit unit in the UK.”
It was through music and celebrity dressing that Karizma was able to grow her label.
“I think for me, because I bootstrapped from nothing, it allowed me to obtain exposure for a minimal cost. It was more about making sure my product was of a good quality for my press clients, and either they bought my product or we’d work with a press loan.”
Karizma learnt that exposure was the key to building her brand – rather than one-off purchases.
“Musicians have a lot of eyes on them,” says Karizma.
“I think my designs and products leant into dressing musicians because they were a little bit more eccentric – [my designs] had a bit more of a performance feel to them.”
As the UK battles a cost of living crisis, London has become one of the most expensive European cities to live in, meaning designers often leave the industry due to demanding outgoings.
“Giving people time to grow in the long term is really quite key,” says Karizma, “The fashion industry is an industry where you’re working in decades. So it doesn’t matter what you’re growing – whether it’s design, accounting, wholesale or even developing a network in the industry – consistent work in any relevant area will help in the long term.”
For Karizma, bespoke celebrity garments paved the way for the expansion of her business. “[We’ve dressed] Rita Ora, I think we’ve dressed Paris five or six times – over time, as my designs and brand developed, we’ve been able to move into ready-to-wear, to allow our product be to be worn and bought by everyone.”
For young designers starting out, Karizma says playing the long game is key, placing emphasis on who is wearing your clothes rather than who is buying them.
“I do think [dressing music artists] was a good way for me to start out, because musicians are looking for iconic designs to help spread their message […] it gave me creative freedom, because they naturally want more expressive clothes.
While the runway has an impact on our season’s biggest fashion trends, Karizma says musicians almost have a bigger impact on major trends.
“I think watching Charli XCX last year with her Brat album is a really good example of a British artist being really impactful on youth culture.
“I enjoy being a part of their their world, especially if they are a positive and empowering figure.”
So when it comes to breaking the British fashion industry – is it worth the cost?
For Karizma, it’s a resounding yes: “I feel really lucky to be a British designer in my industry. I’m lucky to have a support system here.
“I think that the fashion industry, some years ago, was inaccessible and there was only an insight into the world through a documentary on Netflix.
“So to have entered the industry without much information, and to still be at the start of the world of social media, feels like quite a transitional but exciting time to be in the fashion industry.”