Nancy Tyagi: Here to inspire creativity and bring something authentic to the world

Nancy Tyagi, Designer and Content creator Mexy Xavier; Stylist: Ritika Sachdeva; Styling Assistant: Anshita Jadhwani, Kriti Mundhra And Akriti; Wardrobe: Gown: Nour By Neharika; Rings: Misho, Voyce Jewellery Earrings: Ishhaara

As a nine-year-old, Nancy Tyagi loved to play fashion designer to her Barbie dolls. She would creatively assemble scraps of fabric into their outfits. Little did she know that around 11 years later, in 2024, she would grace the Cannes Film Festival in a stunning Barbie-doll-like self-stitched pink gown. “The love, respect, and appreciation I received from people was humbling. It was incredible to see that every design I created was met with such enthusiasm,” says Tyagi, who is ranked No 1 on India’s Top 100 Digital Stars 2024 list—a Forbes India-Goat study.

Her appearance at Cannes may have helped grow her popularity, but Tyagi has been creating content since 2020. Due to financial issues, Tyagi’s mother took up a job at a coal factory. “I realised in no time that the job was affecting my mother’s health. I wanted to help and earn money quickly, so I took on content creation as a way to share my passion for fashion and design,” recounts Tyagi. She started by recreating popular designs, but over time evolved into displaying her own designs.

Back then, the toughest challenge was financial constraints. “Every aspect of making my outfits—from fabric to lace—required money, which I didn’t have. To overcome this, I would visit local markets and find affordable materials,” she explains. This approach has helped Tyagi set herself apart from most other creators in the category. Though it was tough, “it taught me resourcefulness and creativity”, she says. In the past four years, Tyagi has gained recognition within India’s fashion community thanks to her distinctive design sensibility.

Brands love working with her too. The reason? “Consumers today crave raw and authentic storytelling. They relate to people who are closer to their roots and manage to outshine the others. The treatment and construct of her branded content are similar to her organic content, and hence resonate with her audience. This drives genuine engagement for associating brands,” notes Mrinil Mathur Rajwani, managing partner, Social Samosa Network. One such example is CaratLane. “Nancy’s inspiring journey as a self-taught designer made her the perfect fit for CaratLane’s #WearYourWins campaign. Her Cannes debut—where she wore CaratLane jewellery and a self-stitched outfit—epitomised the brand’s values of accessibility and self-expression,” says Jennifer Pandya, vice president marketing & brand.