Neeta Lulla was born in Mumbai on March 5, 1965 (she will be 55 in 2020). Pisces is her horoscope sign. She was raised in Ahmedabad. When she was at school, she was a tom girl who had little interest in academics. Instead of reading books, she favored extracurricular activities. While her mother fretted over her grades, her father supported her participation in athletics. Her father purchased her the then−popular biannual magazines “Seventeen” and “Cosmopolitan” when she was in high school to encourage her reading habit (which were available only in selected stores). She gradually developed an interest in fashion and styling as a result of the magazines’ depictions of the synergy between Bollywood and fashion. One strategy is to avoid a high school diploma and a college degree.
Neeta made the decision to get married in order to forgo a high school diploma and a college degree. Her spouse, though, asked her to finish school after they got married. She subsequently made the decision to enroll in Mumbai’s SNDT University’s Diploma in Pattern Making and Garment Manufacture program. Hemant Trivedi nurtured her in make−up, fashion choreography, and styling events at her college.
Neeta Lulla Photos
| Bio/Wiki | |
|---|---|
| Profession(s) | Indian Costume Designer, Fashion Stylist, Couturier |
| Famous For | Designing the costumes for the film Devdas (2002) |
| Physical Stats & More | |
| Height (approx.) | in centimeters– 163 cm in meters– 1.63 m in feet & inches– 5’ 4” |
| Eye Colour | Black |
| Hair Colour | Light Brown |
| Career | |
| Debut | Film (Costume Designer): Tamacha (1988) |
| Awards, Honours, Achievements | National Film Awards • Best Costume Design for Lamhe (1991) • Best Costume Design for Devdas (2002) • Best Costume Design for Jodhaa Akbar and Balgandharva (2008, 2011) Other Awards • IIFA Best Costume Design Awards (2000, 2009) • Bollywood Movie Awards (2001, 2003) • Zee Cine Award for Best Costume Designer (2002) • Kingfisher Fashion Award (2005) • Fashion Designer of the Decade Award at Satya Brahma (2016) |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | 5 March 1965 (Friday) |
| Age (as in 2023) | 58 Years as of 2023 |
| Birthplace | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Zodiac sign | Pisces |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Hometown | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| College/University | SNDT University, Mumbai |
| Educational Qualification | Diploma in Pattern Making and Garment Manufacture |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Hobbies | Travelling, Doing Adventure Sports |
| Relationships & More | |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Family | |
| Husband/Spouse | Shyam Lulla (Psychiatrist) |
| Children | Son– Siddharth Lulla (Businessman) Daughter– Nishka Lulla (Fashion Designer) |
| Parents | Names Not Known |
| Favourite Things | |
| Actress | Sridevi |
| Icon | Meryl Streep |
| Fashion Designer | Alexander McQueen |
| Perfume | Angel by Thierry Mugler |
| Brand | Prada |
| Restaurant | Yauatcha |
| Watch | Cartier |
| Holiday Destinations | Rome, Africa, Dubai |
| Colour | Black |
Career
Her first big client was jewelry designer Varuna Jani, though Jani hadn’t started her business at the time. After that Lulla fully committed to a Bollywood client base when she designed for actor Sapna who was prominent in the Bollywood community in South India. This success was followed by her designs for actresses Salma Agha and Sridevi.
A notable creation from later in Neeta’s career was a dress she designed for Aishwarya Rai’s wedding to Abhishek Bachchan. She crafted Rai’s pearl-encrusted lehenga for her mehendi ceremony and an additional dress for her South Indian wedding ceremony. The designer has claimed her favorite actress for whom she has created pieces was Divya Bharti. Neeta Lulla has designed for Shilpa Shetty, Aishwarya Rai, Sridevi, Sapna, Salma Azad, Isha Koppikar and Juhi Chawla. Courtesy of reality TV show Tahul, Lulla also designer for Dimpy Ganguly, Rahul Mahajan’s young bride.
After successfully completing the challenge of designing for films like Mohenjo Daro (2016),she plans on trying her hand in Tollywood again with Gautamiputra Satakarni.
Neeta Lulla has been known to utilize Paithani, the ancient technique of tapestry that combines multiple threads of different colors and incorporates gold and silver threads woven together to create a dynamic piece of silk. One of her most notable Paithani collections was shown in February 2016 at the Make In India initiative. At this show she showcased a wide range of pieces including flowing lehangas, long kurtas, jackets, dhoti pants, sarong skirts — all of which were embroidered according to the Paithani style. In regards to the collection and show held in Maharashtra, Neeta commented:
In 2013, Lulla opened The Whistling Wood International Neeta School of Fashion in her home city of Mumbai. The institute offers a selection of courses in fashion, merchandising and online marketing. The school is currently owned by Subash Ghai who has worked with Lulla on several films. Neeta comments:
Some Lesser Known Facts About Neeta Lulla
- Does Neeta Lulla drink alcohol?: Yes
- Neeta Lulla is one of the most triumphant Indian fashion designers in the industry known for her stunning collections.
- She was born in Mumbai and grew up in Ahmedabad.
- Neeta was a tomboy in her school days and had no interest in fashion.
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- She was not so good at studies and preferred extracurricular activities over studying.
- To inculcate a habit of reading in Neeta, her father bought her the popular magazines “Seventeen” and “Cosmopolitan” (which were available only in selected stores). The magazines featured Bollywood’s connection with fashion, which drew her interest towards fashion.
- When she was 16 years old, she agreed to get married in order to escape her studies.
- After her marriage, her husband, Shyam Lulla, asked her to complete her formal education. So, she pursued a Diploma in Pattern Making and Garment Manufacture from Mumbai’s SNDT University.
- Her Guru, Hemant Trivedi, trained her in make-up, fashion choreography, and styling shows.
- After clearing her Diploma, Lulla received an offer to join her college as a lecturer in fashion coordination.
- She started her career by assisting the fashion choreographer Jeanne Naoroji.
- Lulla worked with Naoroji for around two and a half years.
- After gaining knowledge and experience in the fashion industry, she began her own journey with a single sewing machine and a Kaarigar.
- She got her first Bollywood designing project for the film Tamacha in 1988.
- Lamhe (1991) was the movie that brought her immediate stardom in Bollywood.
- Lulla’s name associated inseparably with the Indian film industry after actresses, Madhuri Dixit and Aishwarya Rai wore her outfits in the film Devdas in 2002.
- It was Lulla who had designed the wedding costumes of Aishwarya and Abhishek.
- She has also designed for Sridevi, Juhi Chawla, Shilpa Shetty, Salma Azad, Isha Koppikar, and others.
- Neeta has a fashion institute in Mumbai, “The Whistling Wood International Neeta School of Fashion”. This institute provides a wide range of courses in fashion, online marketing, and merchandising.
- In 2017, she designed the wedding and reception outfits of Bharti Singh (Indian stand-up Comedian).
- Today, Neeta Lulla is an international brand who has earned countless awards.
- She has designed costumes for more than 350 films and has served approximately 10 lakhs clients globally.
- She is the only Indian fashion designer who has won four National Awards for her stupendous work.
- In her early years, she wanted to become a choreographer, but her creative designing skills, natural sense for beautiful embellishments, and gorgeous fabrics changed her destiny, and she became a well-known fashion designer in the Indian Fashion Industry.
- Neeta has designed the costumes for many popular Bollywood films, like “Manikarnika,” “Hum Aapke Hai Kaun,” “Darr,” “Khal Nayak,” and “Taal.”
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- Her fashion label, House of Neeta Lulla compromises for four different brands, namely, “Nisshk,” “Neeta Lulla,” “Little Nisshk,” and “N Bride.
- On 5 April 1993, Neeta Lulla, along with her husband Shyam Lulla and Divya Bharti‘s maid, Amrita, were present at Divya Bharti’s house in Tulsi, Versova, Mumbai when Divya died. The actress died after falling from the 5th floor of her building. Neeta was very close to the actress and had designed several costumes for her.
- During an interview, when Neeta was asked about getting so much of stardom despite being an outsider in an industry that is often termed in popular media to promote nepotism, Lulla said,