Nicole Sharma: Being kind in everything I do is very important to me

"Garden of desire is a shoot that showcases some luxury hand crafted garments and a stunning floral vintage tub set up. This shoot portrays a woman that loves beauty and luxury and likes to celebrate every moment to the most. There are silk dresses, hand embroidered jackets and beautiful artistic makeup with glossy eyes and lips. The fresh florals and dreamy makeup add an ethereal flair to the whole shoot. "

Makeup Artist/Hair Stylist: Soniya Chanra @soniya_mua
Wardrobe Stylist/Fashion Designer: Nicole Sharma - Inxviii Fashion Inc. @styleisinxviii
Videographer/Photographer: Raluca Topliceanu of Lula King Photo & Film @lulakingphotoandfilm
floral design: Lenas Floral Designs @lenasfloraldesigns
Model: Keelyvalentine @keelyvalentine

When did your passion for fashion start and what were the main milestones that turned you into the artist you currently are?

Shopping for evening wear and Indian wear locally in North America, was always disappointing to me. I am a diehard fashion enthusiast who truly cares about mindful consumption. So I used my fashion, retail and marketing skills to create INXVII (Innate) Fashion Inc. I wanted to make clothes for a woman that loves trends, moderate pricing and wants versatility and more use out of her South Asian wear.

I lived the first 18 years of my life in India, which has definitely defined my aesthetic. We moved homes so many times across India in many different states. This gave me the chance to witness the country's diverse beauty in culture and clothing. It really opened up my eyes. When we moved to a state called Rajasthan, I was fascinated by the local garments. It was there that I learnt about block printing, bandhini (traditional fabric coloring by hand), silks, mirror work and so much more. Our last stop was in Mumbai, where everything was the total opposite. It was the time of Fashion Television, Indian Supermodels and local designer Manish Malhotra had made sequins the latest Indian wear trend. I'm still that girl fascinated with both worlds of modern trends and classic elegance. Our design philosophy is definitely influenced by that.

Tell us a bit more about your project "Garden Of Desire". Is there any particular message you would like to get across to the viewers?

I think we live in an interesting time where women are celebrated yet marginalized. We have come so far yet our progress to get here has been very slow. ‘Garden of desire’ has been created to showcase an unapologetic woman, comfortable in her skin who is celebrating herself. I think it is beautifully captured in this shoot.

How would you describe yourself to people that don't know you?

I’m someone who feels things very deeply and let my heart guide my decisions. Being kind in everything I do is very important to me. This translates into my business where we focus a lot on mindful consumption and creating some pieces sustainably through reusing all our waste materials. For example all our masks during the pandemic were made from leftover fabrics of our items. I am creative of course and also love being social. I am obsessed with eating unique foods and baking.

What is the best piece of advice you've ever gotten and do you follow it?

Focus on what is controllable. It’s the best advice I have ever gotten from my husband. I now often try to focus on the controllable versus what's not in my control. It helps to eliminate wasting my energy on things I can't change. It's been quite the journey to get to this point! There are no failures, just learning experiences, seeing things this way changes everything!

If you could say one thing to someone younger who looks up to you, what would you say?

Follow your passion, get some experience in the field.

Only take advice from people actually doing what you want to or aspire to do.

Work on yourself before anything else!

Always focus on doing good work versus making money. The rest will all fall into place.

What's the most important thing you want potential clients to know about you?

We sweat the small stuff. No detail is too small for us and everything matters when it comes to client satisfaction. We rather over deliver than disappoint. And we always try to serve people keeping kindness at the forefront. We take pride and put a lot of passion into our work.

What is your dream in terms of your career?

Our dream would be to be established globally and have an impact on the way consumer consumption is shaped. Hopefully in a way that is kinder to our planet.

If you couldn't be a fashion designer, what would be your other career choice?

I would most likely be an interior decorator. I have a creative mind that is always inspired by beauty and aesthetics and I have the experience behind me to lead teams of people to execute my vision.

How hard has it been establishing yourself in the industry and what are some of the largest things you've faced?

While trying to establish our brand we often struggle to not succumb to just following the crowd. We try to stay focused on what feels true and right for us rather than just jump onto whatever is trending. It gets tempting to take the easy route but we try to stay on course.

What projects are you working on next, and what are your goals for the future?

Our biggest project is our new studio we are hoping to open by the end of this year. Due to Covid, the rise of demand for contractors and diminishing supplies has created some roadblocks but we are so close to completion. We cannot wait to unveil this beautiful new space to all our clients.

Where can we see more of your works and get connected with you?

You can shop our collection at inxviii.com and always reach out to our sales team at sales@inxviii.com