Ognora Design House that epitomises stylish and chic clothing was started in October 2011 in Bangalore by two talented and motivated individuals from varied professional fields, Nayana Jhawar and Prathiksha Hedge.
While Nayana is a corporate lawyer based out of Mumbai, Prathiksha is a fashion design student from Los Angeles, but their passion and interest in fashion and style gave birth to Ognora. Nayana Jhawar speaks to City Express about the concept of their design house and their expansion plans
What was the main objective with which you set out to establish the design house?
Our objective was to bring affordable designer clothing so that people from the neighbourhood can come and shop here.
New BEL Road is an ideal hub for us, as the neighbourhood is full of potential customers.
While it might be an upscale shopping experience, the objective is to provide designer wear which is affordable. The popularity has increased multifold and people from far away places are also dropping in.
Our main USP is that we provide a lot of customisation.
It matters a lot to our customers and because my partner is a designer, it becomes even more easier. Such an option is not available with other stores in the same league.
We bring in a lot of variety in our collection so that we can cater to wide range of clientele whose demands and expectations are varied.
Who are your main designers?
We encourage new talent to showcase their creation which makes it an ever evolving concept, as each designer has different colour, patterns, styles, making the collection wider. We showcase collections from some of the finest young designers in the country.
Designers who are tuned to what people are looking for and present their unique designs in the form of exclusive collections ranging from trendy western wear to traditional designer wear, saris etc., with accessories to match, in an assortment of sizes and style.
Currently we are showcasing designs from many youngsters from across the country. We have collections from Huemn by Shyma & Pranav, Deepankshi & Reena, Prachee, and Deepika Arora from Mumbai among many other.
Prathiksha, my partner's collection is also a highlight as her designs are targetted at the new age women who are go-getters at their work space or in their private lives.
Her outfits aim to give them an edgy and smart look on all occasions We also have accessories like neck pieces and earring from a Mumbai based designer, Chaiti Jangla. Clutch bags and shoes are from Crimzon Accessories.
We have a wide range of exclusive Kanjeevaram, hand painted and embroidered saris from across the country to choose from.
What is the price range at your design house?
We have a collection which starts from Rs 1000 and goes upto Rs 60,000.
The higher range is for the bridal wear. Of late, many people have started contacting us, and we ensure that the collection is within a price bracket, otherwise the concept is defeated.
What are your marketing strategies?
Apart from the regular print and online medium, our collection has been patronised by many top models and other celebrities from the city.
Aindrita Ray, youth icon and Sandalwood actor is the brand ambassador for Ognora.
Recently we launched a wide and unique range of designer jewellery from Confusion Fashion Accessories (CFA) that were worn by the models walking the ramp.
Neck pieces, earrings and bracelets in beads, imported mother of pearl, semi-precious stones, and Swarovski crystals are all interwoven together to lure customers complete their look while choosing the designer wear and accessories at Ognora.
We also celebrated our first year Anniversary recently wherein top models such as Jackie Shetty, Priya Nayak, Nisha, Noyonita, Archana and Nina among others walked the ramp showcasing our collection.
What are your plans of expansion?
Ognora is an attempt to bring designer wear closer to women across age groups at affordable prices.
Our sari collection has been greatly appreciated and patronised and we have great expansion plans going forward.
We are planning to have smaller outlets on Lavelle road and Koramangala. After we have established ourselves in Bangalore, we may go to Delhi and Jodhpur.