Anushka Sharma and Nush: The Challenges of a Celebrity-Owned Fashion Brand

Discover the rise and fall of Nush, Anushka Sharma’s fashion brand. Learn how product issues and a weak strategy led to its decline. A revealing look into the challenges of celebrity fashion startups.

Celebrity-owned fashion brands always create buzz. Fans look forward to owning something created by their favourite stars. However, building a fashion brand requires more than popularity. It needs strategy, quality, creativity, and consistency. This blog explores the rise and fall of Nush, a fashion brand launched by Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma. It looks at how the brand started, what worked, where things went wrong, and what other fashion brands can learn from Nush's journey.

The Nush Launch 

In 2017, Anushka Sharma, one of Bollywood's top actresses, entered the world of fashion with her brand Nush, in partnership with Suditi Industries Ltd, to create a collection of clothes that was inspired by her sense of style. Nush was intended to create stylish, affordable clothing for women with a casual style. The clothes were designed to be wearable, vibrant, and suitable for daily use. They had easy cuts and cheerful prints, perfect for a summer wardrobe.

Nush started as an online-first brand. It was present on almost every e-commerce platform, including Myntra and Amazon, and later, it came to physical stores like Shoppers Stop and other outlets in shop-in-shop formats, to reach a wider audience across India in different cities. 

Anushka Sharma was significantly involved in the creative process. As she also mentioned during interviews, she spent hours discussing the designs and providing feedback. Once, she had even been bold enough to spend up to nine hours in one session. And her mother had to remind her to take breaks and eat. This level of involvement showed her dedication and interest in the project. Although she was not the designer herself, she played an important role in shaping the vision of Nush.

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As per reports, the brand had about 1.01 million US dollars or about 8.4 crore rupees in revenue at March 31, 2019. This was a strong number for a new fashion endeavor. With this strong start, an enthusiastic founder, and an acceptable level of revenue stream, Nush appeared to have the ingredients for success.

The Early Spark: What Made Nush Stand Out Initially

The name Nush was clever and felt personal. It was also associated with Anushka Sharma, so the brand received immediate prominence. Her fans and fashion observers were curious to see what was in the collection. Nush's initial offering included casual clothing designed for working women and girls in college. The silhouettes were casual and trendy. They promoted the early collections, aided by celebrities. Actresses like Katrina Kaif, Shraddha Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra were photographed wearing dresses from the Nush collection. These sightings generated buzz within the fashion community and provided visibility for the brand.

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The marketing method was simple and built around Anushka's image. With a significant social media presence, Anushka offered a sense of modernism and rootedness in contemporary fashion, giving Nush an immediate taste of popularity. For a while, it looked like Nush was going to make its mark in India’s competitive fashion industry.

When the Glamour Faded: The Decline of Nush

Soon after the launch, issues began to arise. One of the major issues was the allegations that the brand was 'copying designs'. Some of the items in the collection were identical to ones sold by a Chinese manufacturer, raising concerns about originality and how the brand was created. Pawan Agarwal, Chairman and Managing Director of Suditi Industries, issued a statement. He acknowledged that there were inconsistencies in the designs. He also stated that the design and obtaining of samples were entirely handled by Suditi Industries, which obtained some of the designs from a manufacturer in China. He indicated that the comparable designs had already sold elsewhere.

He accepted that this was not only a mistake in the design and procurement process but also a serious breach of trust by the Chinese supplier. Suditi Industries intends to take steps to breach this relationship. At the same time, the damage had already been done. The controversy affected their credibility and disappointed consumers looking to have fresh and original styles.

Customer Experience and Product Quality

In addition to the design controversy, there were quality concerns with the product itself. There are many reviews from customers that expressed average fabric quality and poor finishing. The clothes in pictures may have looked appealing but the real-life experience of the product did not live up to that. In the fashion industry, product quality is paramount to developing loyalty; good marketing may get a customer in the door once, but only a great product will get a customer to return.

In the case of Nush, the appeal of celebrity branding worked well at the beginning, but ultimately, the products did not consistently deliver satisfaction, leading to a drop-off in repeat buying behavior. After the novelty of a celebrity-led fashion brand wore off, the clothes had to speak for themselves, and there was nothing about the clothes that distinguished them, providing customers with a unique or memorable experience that inspired ongoing engagement.

Marketing Without Momentum: What Held Nush Back

Anushka Sharma's name provided the brand with brand recognition, but Nush didn't come into its own. After a while, the brand's social presence became sporadic and boring. The last post on Instagram is just over two years ago.  At some level, the brand's lack of consistent engagement was tantamount to saying it wasn't active anymore and was not committed to building brand community of staunch loyalists.

When the brand launched in 2017, influencer marketing was already a growing channel. Every new-age fashion brand was using these channels to reach niche audiences and creating excitement with influencers. Nush did not utilies this channel to the utmost. Rather than building a lifestyle or community around the brand, it remained heavily reliant on Anushka Sharma's celebrity. As competition crowded in, a lot of newer brands with a superior digital approach, with amazing stories, interactions with audiences, and collections evolving on the newest trends blazed forward. Nush looked lethargic and behind the curve. Their content did not evolve.

The fashion business is a quick burner. Brands must frequently refresh their collections, engage their audience, and stay ahead of trends. Without that sort of energy, not even the best names can survive long.

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Surviving the Fashion Game: What It Takes Beyond Fame

By 2020, Nush had already lost much of the buzz it had created at the start. While some of its clothes were still available on online platforms like Ajio and Amazon, there was no visible push to grow the brand. The social media platforms stayed quiet, and the branding lacked innovation.

From the outside, it looked like the brand was slowly shutting down. There was no major campaign, no seasonal collections, and no strong recall in the fashion market. Nush became just another name in the crowded world of casual wear.The journey of Nush reminds us that even the biggest celebrities cannot guarantee business success. A fashion brand needs strong designs, high-quality products, effective marketing, and a clear identity. These elements are crucial for survival in a market full of choices.

Nush’s story offers some valuable insights for anyone thinking of starting a fashion brand:

1. Celebrity power helps, but it is not enough - A famous face can create interest, but the product must deliver real value. Without good quality and originality, no brand can retain its audience for long.

2. Design and sourcing must be handled carefully - A strong design process is essential. Any shortcuts in sourcing or copying can damage the brand's image permanently.

3. Consistent marketing builds community - It is not enough to launch a brand. You need to stay in touch with your customers, post regularly, and share updates. Influencer partnerships, user-generated content, and seasonal collections keep the brand fresh in people’s minds.

4. Social media is not optional - In today’s world, digital presence is everything. Brands that go quiet lose visibility. Social media is where fashion brands can show personality, tell stories, and build connections.

5. Customers want more than clothes - They want a vibe, a message, a story. Brands that connect emotionally tend to succeed. Nush had the potential but lacked follow-through.

How Fashion Brands Can Survive in a Competitive Economy

Starting a fashion brand today is both exciting and difficult. The market is full of options, and consumers have high expectations. Here are some ways to survive and grow:

• Focus on quality and fit - No matter how good the marketing is, bad quality will lead to returns and bad reviews. Make sure your clothes are comfortable, well-finished, and durable.

• Build a brand story - People love to support brands with a purpose. Tell your story. Share your values. Show your team. Be honest and real.

• Embrace digital trends - Use short videos, fashion influencers and live sessions to connect with customers. Be present where your audience hangs out online.

• Offer limited editions and fresh drops - Keep things exciting. New collections every few months help bring people back to your website or store.

• Listen to feedback - Pay attention to reviews, comments, and messages. Customers can guide your growth better than any market report.

• Stay true to your identity - Trends change fast. But if your brand has a strong identity, people will remember it. Know who you are and stick to it.

Conclusion

Anushka Sharma’s Nush entered the fashion scene with promise, backed by star power, a clear vision, and a strong retail presence. While it captured early attention, challenges in design originality, product consistency, and limited marketing impact held it back from reaching its full potential. Today, Nush holds a brand value of ₹65 crore, a respectable number, but one that hints at how much more it could have achieved with the right influencer-driven strategy and stronger audience connection.

In a highly competitive and fast-evolving fashion market, success goes beyond a big name. It requires genuine storytelling, quality products, and continuous engagement with consumers. Nush’s journey may not have followed the script many expected, but it leaves behind lessons that are valuable for anyone looking to build a brand that lasts.

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