⭐️ Exclusive Interview: Noyonika Sircar on Her Journey from India to Paris, Tracing a Fashion Story Across Borders
Explore Noyonika’s journey from her dynamic role at Style Not Com to crafting innovative strategies at Mint Group, driving growth and advocating for inclusivity in luxury fashion.
Hello Tech Powered Luxury listener, and now reader!
🎙️ Today, we’re sharing an exclusive feature on Noyonika Sircar, who offers insights into her work at Mint Group, connecting global luxury retailers with European fashion markets and advocating for inclusivity in the industry.
🌟 Are you new here? Welcome to our amazing community - keep reading to discover everything about Tech Powered Luxury, our Community Rewards and how this newsletter came to life.
💎 I’m Laoise O’Connell and I’m very excited to welcome you to today’s edition!
💫 In this edition, we sit down with Noyonika Sircar, a dynamic fashion professional with a global perspective shaped by her roots in Calcutta, upbringing in Delhi, and experience working in Mumbai before establishing herself in Paris. Having lived in six cities and speaking four languages, she began her career as a model in India before moving to Paris. With a background at prestigious brands like Estée Lauder and YSL Beauty, Noyonika combines creativity and strategic insight to craft compelling narratives in the fashion industry. She has contributed to the leading digital media platform Style Not Com while advocating for greater representation and inclusivity. Noyonika is also an advisor at The Cycle, a platform raising awareness around endometriosis and women's health.
Currently, she is part of Mint Group, the European buying office for Saks Global, which represents luxury retailers such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, and David Jones. Founded by Jean-Philippe Prugnaud’s family and later expanded by him and Mindy Prugnaud, Mint serves as a crucial bridge between European fashion markets and global luxury retailers. With offices in Paris, Milan, and London, Mint plays a pivotal role in trend forecasting, brand curation, and strategic buying, helping top-tier retailers stay ahead in the ever-evolving fashion landscape. 🤍
🎤 Who are you? Tell us in a few sentences about yourself and the role you play in your company and the industry.
"My name is Noyonika Sikaar, and I’m a fashion professional with a focus on strategy, brand development, and client relationships. ✨
At Mint Group, I play a key role in identifying emerging brands, curating products for launch, and managing client relationships. I oversee the onboarding of brands, ensuring they meet the high standards of luxury retailers like Neiman Marcus and Amazon Luxury Fashion. Additionally, I coordinate client services and exclusive events, fostering strong partnerships between brands and buyers while staying ahead of market trends."
✨ Tell us about your mission! Do you have a mantra, a statement that you and your teams live by?
"Although not from the Mint team, my previous employer, Beka Gvaishani from Style Not Com, always told me to never forget to have fun!"
💙 What was it like working at Style Not Com?
"Working at Style Not Com was a dynamic and fast-paced experience - there were moments of intensity, panic, stress, hope, chaos, and, in the end, a lot of fun. As a digital account expanding into multiple spaces - retail, publishing, and merchandising - it offered both creative freedom and exciting new opportunities.
While my primary focus was on fashion week coordination, shows, press reports, and operational tasks, I was particularly inspired by projects like STYLE NOT COM x SELFRIDGES and STYLE NOT COM x LE BON MARCHÉ, which showcased the brand’s potential for growth and innovation.
Additionally, working with Beka provided invaluable insights into the behind-the-scenes dynamics of the fashion industry, from the intricacies of show production to the strategic positioning of a brand. This experience deepened my understanding of the industry beyond the runway, revealing the unseen elements that shape fashion’s influence." ⚡️
👀 What is one of the most important lessons you’ve learned throughout your career?
🧠 "One of the most important lessons I’ve learned in my career is the value of resilience, hard work, and the courage to ask. Coming from a family with no ties to fashion, I had to actively seek out experts, learn from them, and turn them into mentors. Along the way, I’ve been fortunate to meet incredible people like Ashley McDonnell, Smita Lasrado, Beka Gvaishani, and Georgina Harding - each of whom embodies two qualities that have deeply inspired me: an unfaltering vision and genuine kindness. Their guidance has shown me that success isn’t just about talent, but also about the generosity of those willing to share their knowledge."
🫶🏽 Anything else you’d like to add?
"When you ask, doors open. When you have faith, you go further. And when you collaborate, ideas turn into visions. ✨
Through the years, I’ve come to realise that working in fashion without a background, but simply enjoying the process, observing, and treating others with kindness, has been my biggest takeaway. The industry can be demanding, but it’s also filled with moments of connection and inspiration, and that’s what makes the journey truly worthwhile."
Noyonika was one of the first people I met when I arrived in Paris! We connected, of course, through the Tech Powered Luxury community. When I landed my first internship at Givenchy and had to get to Paris very last minute, she kindly let me stay in her apartment. I remember going out for a drink with her and being in complete awe of her fashion knowledge - it’s seriously impressive! She’s like a walking encyclopedia of fashion. 💘
We hope you enjoyed this special interview edition with our very special TPL lady. Thank you for reading!
Until next time,
Laoise 🖤
🫶🏽 Our Partner This Season: Azure Communications
This season’s sponsor of the Tech Powered Luxury podcast is Azure Communications, and we’re thrilled to continue our partnership with them. For quite some time now, Azure has been our go-to provider for all things print and marketing. Whether it’s branded materials for our content, from print and direct mail to event invitations, they’ve been behind the scenes making it all happen.
If you’re looking for top-tier branded collateral, print services, or marketing support, we highly recommend checking them out.
You can visit them at www.azurecomm.ie or follow them on Instagram at @AzureCommunications.
🎁 Community Rewards
Your skin deserves a treat! 💆♀️ Seoulista Beauty® is giving 20% off to our subscribers through the code TPL20* on checkout. Known for its dermatologist-tested bio-cellulose facials, the products infuse potent serums deep into the skin, delivering salon-grade results in 20 minutes.
*TPL20 is a one-time-use code, with no minimum order purchase and valid across the range on seoulistabeauty.com. Cannot be combined with other discounts.
💫 Who are we and what led us here today?
🎙️ Launched as a podcast on November 1st 2022 by Ashley McDonnell, Tech Powered Luxury has since nurtured a vibrant community of experts passionate about the evolving synergy between technology and luxury. We have reached over 20 million people through the podcast, social platforms and media, and have hit +500K downloads.
🪄 This season, our weekly newsletter will be curated by Laoise O’Connell, a luxury marketeer with experience in client relations and communications at fashion houses and global brands Chanel and Givenchy in Paris. Laoise has been a proud contributor to Tech Powered Luxury since Season 1 and we are excited to have her guide our content for the newsletter this season and look forward to the insights she will bring. 💎
 |
|