'I used To Be Bhumi's Butter Chicken Date,' Says Fashion Designer Nikkhil Thammpi

A sight to behold, Nikkhil Thammpi's latest muse Vijay Varma cuts a dapper figure in black, a favourite colour of the fashion designer. The actor's draped bandhgala jacket, paired with flared pants, makes for a 10/10 look and fans couldn't help but comment on the styling and the 'ati sundar' earpiece.

"It's a classic bandhgala with a modern twist. We have added a drape on the side to make it look even more appealing," says Nikkhil, who marks 15 years in the Indian fashion industry with his collection Naia.

"Vijay Varma is breaking the classic norms. He's very experimental with his style, especially the red carpet, and he loves to take that extra risk, which a lot of other male celebs are afraid to take," reveals the designer. "In this particular look, he is wearing an Amrapali ear cuff, which is so modern. It is rare to see a man donning something like this."

Naia: Nikkhil's 'most personal and powerful' chapter

"It is an ode to modern Indian couture wear, and I wanted my muse to be someone very new age; someone who is not scared, and that's when Vijay Varma happened," says Nikkhil. "He is the right person to debut the collection because we are known to be rule-breakers, and he endorses that."

He continues, "While I'm known to be a western wear designer, I wanted to do an Indian wear range that resonates globally. It is a 2.0 version where we're showing how mature our design has become, our journey to date. It has hints of the past, but with a bright future."

In the collection, the designer has shown an entire journey from day to night with a colour palette that features white, dusty pink, fiery rust orange, cocoa brown and black, the colour of Nikkhil's life.

"I love black," he exclaims. "There is nothing more beautiful, sensual and comforting." Nikkhil proudly accepts that he is a 'colour-blind' designer who will be spotted in black 24*7.

In his past collections, the designer has consciously chosen to stay away from busy prints and extremely heavy embroidery because he "wants the wearer to express their personality with the clothes that are more structured and cut-driven."

"Our garments are modern heirlooms that can be bought today, but still relevant 5-10 years down the line," he quips.

The making of Nikkhil Thammpi

Nikkhil's story began way back in 2011, when he was around 25. "I always wanted to satisfy my creative itch by doing something in the field of art. Fashion, interiors, photography, I have dabbled in multiple forays."

But for him, his first love was fashion, and that's what he stuck with.

"All my iconic collections have come from a strong emotional place," he admits.

In 2011, Nikkhil applied under the GenNext category at the prestigious Lakme Fashion Week, even though he didn't have a formal training in fashion. "It was a hot-blooded, young decision to do something rebellious and unexpected from what society would expect a man to do back then," he explains. "There were 800 applications, and out of that, only eight were selected, and we were one of them."

That's what took off the career graph for Nikkhil, who then set out to become the OG red carpet designer for Bollywood and has designed outfits for Bhumi Pednekar, Shilpa Shetty, Sonakshi Sinha, Nimrat Kaur, Shruti Haasan, Kangana Ranaut and Parineeti Chopra, among others.

Being Bhumi's butter chicken date

The designer is extremely proud of what he has achieved - be it the journey, the narration, the garments, but what's most important is the connection the brand shares with the audience; the community.

Nikkhil is known to take risks, and that's what he thinks "people loved, celebrities gravitated towards, and fashion critics appreciated".

He came with a modern point of view and realised the amalgamation of fashion and Bollywood is a match made in heaven.

Bhumi Pednekar and Nikkhil have known each other before they started their careers. "Our relationship is extremely close. We're friends. I used to be her butter chicken date when she put on weight for her first film, Dum Laga Ke Haisha. For Bhumi, my workshop is like a second home."

Nikkhil believes in always supporting his friends, and hence, when a project like The Royals came to the table, he knew he'd be a part of it.

"That was non-negotiable," he says. "I was so glad to see that my look, a classic red sheath dress (for the poster), was so well-received. Post that, we had a lot of inquiries and almost sold 30 pieces of the particular look."

Shilpa Shetty: The No. 1 muse

The Shilpa Shetty midnight blue pant-sari was a conceptual piece from Nikkhil's fusion collection called Gleam, and the designer has already sold 800 pieces of this particular sari.

"There is nothing more Indian, more grounded than a sari, and as a designer, it is my job to keep reinventing. Globally, designers have taken the humble silhouette and given it their twist and definition, and this is our version.

"Shilpa Shetty has been our No. 1 muse for many years, and I have given her 20-25 looks till now, and all translate into this iconic silhouette because she, herself, is such a great personality."

Published on: Sunday, August 24, 2025, 12:00 PM IST