In a conversation, Selina Nusrat, Founder and Designer of Chantilly, divulge her creative process, the challenges in the industry and how a lifelong passion helped turn her life around
YOU STARTED CHANTILLY WHEN YOU WERE PASSING THROUGH A ROUGH PATCH IN YOUR LIFE. WHAT ENCOURAGED YOU TO TAKE THE BIG LEAP?
YOU STARTED CHANTILLY WHEN YOU WERE PASSING THROUGH A ROUGH PATCH IN YOUR LIFE. WHAT ENCOURAGED YOU TO TAKE THE BIG LEAP?I started Chantilly while overcoming one of the lowest points in life. There was no other option left for me to earn a living. Fashion has always been a big part of my life. When I hit a rough patch in life, I decided to turn my passion into a profession and that is what led to the birth of Chantilly. Perhaps, the biggest challenge of starting Chantilly was managing the business side of it. I believe that I’m more of a creative person. On the bright side, however, my target audience are people who prefer statement dresses, people who have a similar approach to fashion as I do, so it all works out in the end.
HOW HAS THE JOURNEY BEEN SO FAR?
It’s been almost five years since starting this business in 2017. The first collection I launched was called “Timeless Love” where ICE Today was one of the media partners. The most recent collection is called “Elle” which stands for “she” in French. Over the years, most of my collections have been women-centric, to portray their inner-strength, beauty and honesty. All my collections including “Timeless Love”, “Of Shores, Sunsets and Beaches”, and “Unsung Monet” were created to somehow enhance women’s inner beauty. Even “Elle” focuses on the theme ‘demure’ which means subtle yet modest which is what I want people to see and feel when they see this collection.
WERE THERE ANY CHALLENGES THROUGHOUT THE AFFAIR?
It’s a very competitive market. You have to be extremely patient and fight for your place to make it. The demographic I cater to requires me to compete with international brands. My clients usually prefer international designers compared to local brands. Conversely, my collections are compatible with international designer brands. When I create something, I make sure to meet the quality requirements by ensuring that the stitching, cutting and materials are up to the standard. Also, they’re all stitched by hand. For me, regardless of how much one of my dresses cost, it has to be on par with international brands in terms of quality.
YOUR DESIGNS ARE A PERFECT BLEND OF SUBTLETY AND SOPHISTICATION. FROM WHERE DO YOU DRAW INSPIRATION TO DESIGN? HOW DO YOU CHOOSE A THEME FOR EACH COLLECTION?
While coming up with “Timeless Love”, I was emotionally shaken, consequently, it became an expression of different stages of love. Likewise, I was in Cox’s Bazar while creating “Shores, Sunsets and Beaches,” so the surroundings spurred me to design a collection. To me, this is equivalent to making music or writing a poem. You never know where it comes from. It just pops into your mind.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR LATEST COLLECTION NAMED ELLE. RECENTLY YOU VISITED DUBAI WITH THIS COLLECTION. HOW WAS THE RESPONSE?
I am driven and influenced by French vintage fashion. One of my biggest idols is Coco Chanel. I like French fashion in general because it has a classic touch to it. Quirky fashion doesn’t fascinate me as much. Even the name “Chantilly” is French. It means “pleasant wind” in French. There’s also a delicate lace called Chantilly. I named the latest collection “Elle” because of the admiration and respect I have for French fashion.
Moreover, the response in Dubai was overwhelming. What made the whole experience even better was when I met Rina Dhaka, since she is one of my biggest inspirations to this day. I used to watch her on television in the 90s and was always a big fan of her work, and when our collections were presented next to one another, it felt too good to be true! Rina Dhaka is someone I’ve always looked up to. When she visited my stall and praised my work, which was a big validation for me. Rina Dhaka is an amazing person and I am happy that we are now connected.
WHERE DO YOU LIKE TO SEE CHANTILLY IN FUTURE?
I would like to see Chantilly on more international platforms creating new benchmarks for our industry. Concurrently, I sincerely hope investors and consumers give local brands the chance they deserve.