Footwear for the beach? Well, you can definitely upgrade yourself from those rubber flip flops to something more in vogue and apt in comfort. And who better to know how to keep the style and comfort in place than Goa based designer Sunieta Narayana, who proudly presents her line of ‘The Naked Chappals’!?

Sans the teleporting distance between Delhi and Goa, we got a little chatty with Sunieta to talk about her collection in depth, her personal style and of course; get the vibes of fashion ambience in Goa.

1. Tell us something about yourself.

Designing is what I always saw myself wanting to do when I grew up! I knew right from the time I was a little girl, That I wanted to create beautiful clothes. However, I first went on to pursue my other passion for the Environment as an Engineer. I finally decided to do combine my two passions and started to design upcycled boots from tribal fabrics. This got me interested in Fashion as a career choice.

2. Tell us about your personal style.

My personal style is very varied and changes with my mood and what my day is looking like! I love street wear to run around town in and flowy dresses for going out on most days in Goa. My personal style is made up of one-offs from artisan markets from my travels. I love to mix-and-match old traditional jewel with new trends of clothing to create everyday effortless looks.

3. What defines the fashion culture of Goa and how versatile it is in terms of national and international wearability?

Fashion in Goa is big on design and style rather than brand names or label. There are indie-designers here creating for national and international shoppers, so there is a huge selection of styles to choose from. It’s signature style of course is a bit beachy, hippie and gypsy kind of clothing and accessories! Resort wear is huge as well!
Gypset style has really caught on in Goa over the last few years and I love how easy to wear it is for locals and foreigners!

4. What areas of Goa do you visit to soak in some inspiration?

There is so much in Goa that inspires me! Most of my inspiration comes from nature! The long drives on long-winding open roads leading to lakes and rivers and old forts make me happy. Goa’s rich cultural heritage and the Portuguese influence in the architecture makes it easy to feel inspired everyday!

5. How has your journey in the Indian fashion industry been like so far?

What are the challenges you faced?My journey has been very successful and rewarding thus far in my learning and experimenting.

6. Tell us about your ‘Naked Chappals’ collection.

The upcycled tribal boots came from my love for boots and need for happy colours and eco-friendly. My inspiration for “The Naked Chappals” arose from the fact that I LOVE ancient anklets and toe-rings. I wanted to be able to wear jewelry on my feet and NOT have to worry about finding the right pair of footwear to show it off instead of it clashing with the jewelry. The beauty of barefoot and jewelry needed to be accentuated and not hidden! From this thought, came the Naked Chappals. Eco-Naked Chappals came to life after spending time in nature taking in all the sights and smells of flowers up on the hills of Goa.

7. What, as per you, will be the ideal ensemble to pair these chappals with?

The naked chappals are very versatile and can be paired with anything in your wardrobe! I personally like it with dresses and skirts! It’s also great with ethnic and traditional wear!

8. Do you think heels are overly hyped and that flats too have a charm of their own?

Living in Goa, you can’t blame me for saying flats are my “go-to” footwear! It can’t get any more comfortable than flats! As much as I love heels for more dressy affairs, I also believe it’s so easy to style many outfits with the right pair of flats too to achieve a dressy look!

9. Where can one purchase and own a pair of their very own Naked Chappals?

The naked chappals as of now are available exclusively at my label in Goa. We ship nationally and internationally! www.sunietanarayana.com