Discover What’s In My Handbag: Rakhi Popat, Senior Product Manager

This week in our ‘What’s in My Handbag’ series, the lovely Rakhi Popat, Senior Product Manager at NICA, has agreed to share the current contents of her handbag.

As a Senior Product Manager, Rakhi is always on the go, from attending product kick-off meetings to meeting key distributors across the world, so, she likes to ensure that her bag is well prepped for travelling. Rakhi says that her ultimate handbag items are her purse and beloved MAC lipstick in Captive – it’s the best shade she’s ever found!

Currently, Rakhi’s handbag contains:

-River Island leather gloves

-Mulberry purse

-Maybelline rocket volume mascara, black

-Chanel Les 4 Ombres eyeshadows

-No7 shine free primer 

-Mac lipgloss in Wet, Wild and Wonderful 

-Mac lipstick in Captive 

-Clinique black diamond eyeliner

-iPad

-Vintage NICA make up bag

-Samsung 4S mobile 

-Moleskin Diary

-Marks and Spencer bobble hat 

-Primark scarf 

-Stylist magazine 

                    *This season Rakhi is carrying the Zena from the Nica shoulder bag collection. 

In addition to sharing the contents of her handbag, Rakhi took some time out to tell us about her favourite London sights, shops and fashion inspirations.

What does a typical day off look like?
In my free time, I love to check out new bars and cafés with friends. One of my favourite areas to go out is around the London Bridge area, the view is so good when you’re dining. You’re completely spoilt for choice for things to do in London, and I regularly visit museums. The V&A museum is amongst my favourites, I particularly loved their recent Lichtenstein exhibition. 

Do you have a favourite shop?
I love to shop, and I can often be found around Westfields or Oxford Circus, and luckily for me the London Designer Outlet has just opened up close to where I live, so, that could well become one of my favourite spots.  

Is there an item of clothing which you can’t live without?
I have several pairs of jeans in my wardrobe, and I probably couldn’t live without them.

Who are your style icons?
My style icons are Emily Blunt and Alexa Chung. I really like Alexa’s laid back smart style. 
Thanks, Rakhi!

Are you a handbag hoarder? Perhaps there are some handbag items you simply cannot live without. Tweet us at @Nica_Handbags.

How To Style our Alicia Satchel with Retro Chick

We love seeing how our favourite Fashion Bloggers style our handbags, and last week our beautiful Alicia satchel was taken along for a weekend away to Salisbury and Stonehenge by the leading vintage fashion blog Retro Chick.

Our satchel sat effortlessly alongside her vintage inspired outfit, which featured a pair of statement flared trousers, a perfectly flowing winter time coat, and a charming beret!

You can find out more about her day out with our Alicia satchel over at retrochick. And remember, we always love to see how you’re styling our bags, so, remember to tag your photos with @Nica_Handbags on Twitter and @nicahandbags on Instagram.

How To Get Ready for the Christmas Party with NICA

Early November has crept upon us and we're already thinking about Christmas! From adorning the NICA office walls with mistletoe and festive fancies, we’ve started thinking ahead to our Christmas party. As a handbag brand, the question on everybody’s lips is naturally fashion focused, “What am I going to wear?!” 

Are you heading to a Christmas party this season? Read on to gain some inspiration on what to wear to yours with our festive outfit look book. 

Purse: NICA, Nail Polish: OPI, Shoes: ASOS, Dress: Mod Cloth

Flatforms are a great option when it comes to keeping your balance at parties- there’s nothing worse than taking a tumble in skyscraper heels after one too many sips of Prosecco! This aptly named ‘Cue the Compliments’ dress is Christmassy without going OTT and will look divine teamed with glitzy nail lacquer and cute clutch purse (as pictured). 

Dress: Topshop, Lipstick: MAC, Bag: NICA, Faux Fur Jacket: Oasis

Pay homage to The Great Gatsby era and make like the glitterati with a striking faux fur coat layered over a beaded 1920’s style dress. Add a slick of deep red lipstick and a nude bag like the Nica Lulu Crossbody to perfect the look.

Necklace: Fiorelli, Dress: Staring at Stars, Satchel: NICA

This psychedelic sixties print shift dress is the ideal statement piece for that special festive meal with friends or family. Indulge your vintage side with the timeless NICA Alicia Satchel in black- the perfect accompaniment to store any small last minute gifts away from prying eyes. An ultra-cool outfit for the brasserie or fancy steakhouse.

What will you be wearing to your Christmas party? We’d love to know how you’re going to style your outfit. Tweet us your Christmas party outfit plans @Nica_Handbags.

Nica Inspiration: A Trip to the Beautiful Wisley Gardens

by Nica Kim

By now, it’s no secret that my designs are heavily influenced by nature, and I love nothing more than heading out and about to beautiful locations and deriving some botanical design inspiration.

Last weekend, I popped along to Wisley gardens, the flagship garden of the Royal Horticultural Society. It’s described as a world-class garden, and it really didn't disappoint. It’s filled with an array of beautiful plants, and everything is labelled so that you know exactly what you’re looking at. 

It features a state of the art glass house with three climatic zones replicating tropical, moist, and dry temperatures, and so, as you can imagine, it’s home to an amazing collection of plants from all around the world. 

Look at the beautiful print upon these leaves. It could easily influence a print or even a pretty charm. 

And can you see the cheeky face like detail upon the petals of these flowers? I just had to share them with you!  

One of my favourite things about this time of the year, are all of the beautiful autumnal tones that nature has to offer. The warm, rich reds and browns that are synonymous with autumn time can inspire the prettiest of handbags. 

Do you have a favourite public gardens to visit? Why not share your recommendations or even photos with us by tagging @Nica_Handbags on Twitter or @nicahandbags on Instagram. 

Love,

Nica Kim x 

Cosmo Award Winning Blog What Olivia Did Styles Our Marnie Crossbody

We've received rather a lot of compliments regarding our cute Marnie mini crossbody! Well, what’s not to love about a sweet little owl giving a cheeky wink? And we've seen quite a few different inspiring ways on how to style it too, from vintage outfits with our tan  colour way to spooky Halloween costumes with the black version.

This week we were very excited to see how it was styled by Olivia from the Cosmo award winning blog What Olivia Did. Olivia who scooped Cosmopolitan's award for Best Established Fashion Blog this year, opted for a fetching pair of on trend tartan trousers, a vintage feeling polo neck, and a very cute pair of cat themed shoes.

Do you love how Olivia styled our bag? If so, you can read the full version over on her blog.

And remember to share how you’re styling our Marnie mini by tagging your photos @Nica_Handbags on Twitter and @nicahandbags on Instagram.