Lifestyle

Needles meet mirrors this festive season, with NEEDLEDUST

Fehroza ’24 flaunts high-grade crystals, pearls and mukaish work, alongside signature mirror and gota detailing | Photo Credit: Special arrangement

Just in time for the festive season, shoe brand NEEDLEDUST has renewed its association with designer Abhinav Mishra, expanding the horizons of their collaborative pursuits. An extension of their NEEDLEDUST men and women, featuring juttismules, heels, wedges and embellished purses.

Abhinav Mishra (left) and Shirin Mann Sangha, the creative director of NEEDLEDUST | Photo Credit: Special arrangement

“The collection from our first collaboration was so well-received that it was only natural to extend the alliance,” says Shirin Mann Sangha, the creative director of NEEDLEDUST. She credits the merging of design aesthetics in the edit to the camaraderie with Abhinav. “Abhinav and I started our brands around the same time and there’s a certain camaraderie. We love each other’s brands. We started working on Fehroza ’24 in March this year. It took us about six months to curate the collection,” she says.

It took about six months to curate Fehroza ’24 | Photo Credit: Special arrangement

While NEEDLEDUST gained popularity for the intricate embroidery on their handcrafted juttisAbhinav has been in the spotlight for the mirror work that adorns most of his garments. Both the brands are pushing the boundaries of maximalism with the new edit that flaunts high-grade crystals, pearls and mukaish work, alongside signature mirror and gota detailing.

“We aim to create heirloom pieces. We dabble in a lot of embroidery, from zardosi and dabka to sequins and pearls. The conscious thought behind this edit was — how can we make mirror work look dynamic? So, we created more styles, catering to a larger segment. We have introduced a triangle high heel for the very first time and wedges too, in this collection,” she says.

Fehroza ’24 is pushing the boundaries of maximalism. Photo Credit: Special arrangement

Abhinav adds, he wanted to push the boundaries of traditional mirror work while collaborating with NEEDLEDUST. “Instead of just using it as an embellishment, I incorporated it into the structural elements of the bags and shoes. For instance, the mirror work is intricately embedded into the designs to create a play of light and texture, making each piece truly unique,” he says.

Bags in the collection are crafted from vegan leather, while juttis are made with genuine, soft leather | Photo Credit: Special arrangement

The products are manufactured at NEEDLEDUST’s studio in Gurugram, which boasts of over 200 craftspersons and artisans. “While collaborating with Abhinav, my team and his would get together and discuss everything from the moodboard to color story and categories we want to explore. Then Abhinav and I would discuss the first draft and share perspectives. We kept in mind various occasions, like mehendi, gifting, brides, bridesmaids, children — all segments. That the distance between Abhinav’s office and my studio is about 30 minutes, the collaboration was easier. Also, we both work late hours and on weekends,” she laughs.

The line also introduces a line of micro bags and bucket potlis. “For juttiswe use genuine, high-grade and soft leather, but for bags, we stick with vegan leather,” Shirin adds.

The products are manufactured at NEEDLEDUST’s studio in Gurugram. Photo Credit: Special arrangement

Four Pillars

Fehroza ’24’s Pearls Collection has a mini potli Made of pastel-coloured pearls, which is paired with a matching heel featuring tie-up, tassel detailing. It also showcases the special-edition Zara heel. Another notable offering in this category is a rounded heel with pearl tassels against embroidered mirrors and sequins. The second edit, Crystal Collection, highlights champagne-colored crystals on heels, juttisand a bucket bag, which is a modern take on the potliIts special-edition shoe Hera showcases raindrop crystal tassels and mirror net in a 3D visual. The third collection, Kaalbeliyawhich represents the modern-day hippie, puts the spotlight on juttismenswear, and heels in chunky silver metallic finish mixed with mirror work. Lastly, Mehzabeen champions gold, silver, and champagne rose gold with sequins, gota, and mirror work.

Special-edition Zara heel from Fehroza ’24’s Pearls Collection | Photo Credit: Special arrangement

“The most challenging part of this collaboration was balancing the traditional craftsmanship with NEEDLEDUST’s design ethos. It required a lot of fine-tuning to ensure that the mirror work was both functional and visually striking without compromising the overall design integrity. But overcoming these challenges has made the collection even more rewarding and innovative,” says Abhinav. Shirin adds, “The vision — with the use of fabrics like silk, tissues, suede (for men) and crepe on footwear — was to explore the wide spectrum between heirloom nostalgia and modern glam.”