PERSON OF INTEREST | NIDA MAHMOOD

Nida Mahmood’s sense of kitsch has been seen as “too old”, “too challenging” and “too daring” by some. So we decided to open up the doors to the quirky world of kitsch once and for all. And guess who’s waiting to welcome you with open arms? Well, Nida, of course! And here’s what she has to say.

As the queen of Indian kitsch, what advice would you give to those who are only beginning to warm up to the idea | I would say it’s a very creative space. Kitsch is not about throwing a handful of colors in existing images. It has traveled from the nascent stage of what was defined by Andy Warhol to a much more complex level. It’s about rejoicing the essence of the colloquial in a cool quirky space. It’s about celebrating culture in a non-preachy manner. It’s about loving what is originally ours and not being bogged down by having to force-fit a foreign culture just to fit into a society.

What truly drives your kitsch instincts | I have always been attracted to boring, simple, ordinary, mundane and miss-able things around us. I have always found it interesting to try and turn such things on their heads into dramatic larger-than-life ideas. With “high on chai”, I discovered I had a thing for kitsch in the real sense. Otherwise, how many of us think of “chai” as being a super cool inspiration? Kitsch gives you the opportunity to see the world in a very different dimension.

Kitsch has no rules but is so strong that it has its own language.

Any designers who inspire you for their understanding and exploration of kitsch | I have always loved Jean Paul Gaultier for his crazy sensibility.

When wearing kitsch, what is the most common mistake people make| And isn’t kitsch all about not having rules | Yes, in fact, the only rule is to not have rules, but one needs an eye for what to put together as a look? Mixing and matching prints is an art. Just because it looks like things are casually put together, doesn’t mean that is actually the case. Colour balancing is very important. To keep it simple, pick one kitsch element. Take a top or a bottom and work around it, with other simpler pieces to work out the look. Never over-accessorize. It can completely spoil a good outfit, more so a busy kitsch-y outfit.

Diana Vreeland (in)famously said, “Never fear to be vulgar, only boring” | For some, kitsch borders on vulgar. Your comments | In my understanding, she meant kitsch is very bold. Sometimes, a bold statement doesn’t go down well with the conservatives, hence may be termed vulgar. I feel it needs attitude and boldness to be able to sport kitsch because it has a very strong mind of its own. It’s not for the weak-hearted. It’s for people who have the strength to stand out in the crowd and own the space.

In its spirit, would you define kitsch as bold | Or is it purely experimental | Kitsch is bold and has a strong individuality. It has the strength to stand out and be its own self and speak in a way that, despite never having been set by any rules, is so strong that it becomes a language.