Early Breakthrough and Luxury Campaign Work

Nik Thakkar’s entry into the fashion world came through notable early recognition. He was scouted in Paris by Jean Paul Gaultier and went on to become part of Gaultier’s AW13–14 digital campaign. This positioned him not simply as a participant but as a visible face within a major luxury house’s global communication strategy.

From there, he expanded into collaborations with other major brands, including Louis Vuitton and Tom Ford. One of his credited appearances includes Louis Vuitton’s “Art of Packing” campaign, as well as involvement in Tom Ford’s short film “An Ode to Oud.” These projects placed him within the visual and conceptual storytelling side of fashion, where campaigns often blend cinematic production with brand identity.

At this stage, his role aligned with that of a model and campaign figure, working alongside established creative teams while building recognition within the luxury sector.

Ada + Nik: Founding a Fashion Label

A major development in his career was the co-founding of the fashion label Ada + Nik with designer Ada Zanditon. The brand operated within the runway ecosystem, presenting collections at both London Fashion Week and New York Fashion Week over multiple seasons.

Ada + Nik became known for its futuristic, dark aesthetic and its engagement with gender-fluid design principles. The label explored silhouettes and concepts that challenged conventional distinctions in menswear and womenswear, aligning with broader shifts in fashion toward non-binary expression.

In 2015, Ada + Nik received the GenArt Prize at New York Fashion Week, marking recognition within an industry platform that highlights emerging design talent. This period represents a transition in Thakkar’s career from participant to creator, as he moved into shaping collections and presenting them on international runways.

Collaboration with Will.i.am and Wearable Technology

Beyond traditional fashion design, Nik Thakkar engaged in experimental collaboration that intersected with technology and innovation. One of the most notable examples is his work with will.i.am, where they developed a camera-enabled biker jacket concept.

This project reflects an early exploration of wearable technology in fashion, combining functional hardware with garment design. It also situates Thakkar within a niche of fashion creatives interested in merging product design with digital functionality, rather than limiting work to aesthetic expression alone.

Brand Consulting and Industry Work

In addition to design and modeling, Thakkar has contributed to brand strategy and creative consultancy for several major companies. His portfolio includes work connected to Coca-Cola, specifically Diet Coke, as well as projects involving Xbox, Motorola, and Selfridges.

This aspect of his career highlights a behind-the-scenes role in shaping campaigns and creative direction. Rather than being solely a front-facing figure, he operated in advisory and conceptual capacities, contributing to how brands communicate visually and culturally.

Fashion Industry Presence and Cultural Visibility

Throughout the mid-2010s, Nik Thakkar maintained a visible presence within the fashion circuit. He was frequently associated with events, shows, and social environments that overlap with major industry gatherings, including fashion weeks and brand activations.

His positioning within this space contributed to his reputation as a recurring figure in high-profile fashion environments. This visibility extended beyond formal roles, placing him within a network of designers, brands, media figures, and creatives who collectively shape contemporary fashion culture.

Expansion into Fragrance and Identity-Driven Projects

Thakkar later expanded his creative output into product development beyond clothing. One example is the launch of GODDEX, a genderless fragrance concept that aligns with his broader interest in identity, spirituality, and self-expression.

This move reflects a continuation of themes present throughout his work, where fashion, personal identity, and conceptual storytelling intersect. Rather than operating strictly within apparel, his projects began to encompass broader lifestyle and sensory experiences.

Positioning Within the Fashion Ecosystem

Across his career, Nik Thakkar’s role has shifted between several interconnected positions:

• Campaign face for luxury brands such as Jean Paul Gaultier, Louis Vuitton, and Tom Ford
• Co-founder and designer of the Ada + Nik label
• Collaborator in experimental projects involving figures like will.i.am
• Consultant for global brands including Coca-Cola, Xbox, Motorola, and Selfridges
• Participant in runway presentations at London Fashion Week and New York Fashion Week

This combination of roles places him within a hybrid category of fashion professional, where modeling, design, consulting, and cultural participation overlap rather than exist as separate paths.

Conclusion

Nik Thakkar’s fashion background forms the foundation of his broader creative identity as NEO 10Y. Beginning with early recognition in Paris and involvement in major luxury campaigns, he transitioned into co-founding a runway label, collaborating on experimental design projects, and contributing to brand strategy across industries.

His career reflects a consistent presence within high fashion environments, supported by collaborations with established designers, global brands, and creative figures. Over time, this foundation expanded into a multidisciplinary practice that integrates fashion, identity, technology, and cultural expression into a unified creative approach.

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Remember the brilliant short film On The Docks from Gaultier? Well the one and only Jarrod Scott has returned to front the new Jean Paul Gaultier Ultra Male fragrance campaign. The fragrance is actually a reinterpretation of the Le Male fragrance launched in 1995 and comes packaged in the iconic torso bottle with blue and black stripes.

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Unveiled at Paris menswear last week via a presentation at the immense Jean Paul Gaultier HQ. The SS15 menswear collection is inspired by Memphis – taking on board the ancient hieroglyphics also seen in the womenswear cruise collection and the essence of Vegas meets Elvis but with the signature heritage of Gaultier woven in. The collection features the classic but reinterpreted Breton stripes and lace, the darker and more traditional aesthetic but also waves of mustard and blue evoking a sense of Egyptian summer. One of my favourite pieces is the pleated black kilt with shirt arm wrap arounds.

The presentation was synchronised with a short film directed by Early Films featuring models Botond Cseke and Jester White.

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This is perfect. A complete throwback to two iconic Jean Paul Gaultier TV pop culture moments – the Absolutely Fabulous film and Eurotrash. It really doesn’t get any better than this, thank you i-D. To celebrate the opening of “The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier” at the Barbican (which is incredible, I saw it in Brooklyn and was at the opening with Gaultier on Monday), Jean Paul Gaultier and Jennifer Saunders have teamed up with Antoine de Caunes on a spoof film directed by Tom Kingsley. It’s genius.

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Personal favourites include the textured kilt with drop zip roll neck which is by far the most classic noir Gaultier look, the maroon leather jacket which shows a colour palette evolution from the AW13 black leather jacket and the woollen cuff sleeve leather gloves. The use of print is innovative across the collection, featured on the fur and knitwear. It was taken from an archive set of sketches by Jean Paul himself and also poses as the art directed back drop for the creative of the lookbook.

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Sitting in the Archer Street Bar in Soho with only a coffee and his phone, Thakkar is the very image of the 21st century Renaissance man – international, on-the-go and with the world at his fingertips. Thakkar thinks in a way that reflects his love of technology; his mind moves at an incredible speed, constantly buzzing with some new piece of information or idea, shifting gear and topic at a truly digital speed. At the age of 26, he has become a major player and poster boy in a digital revolution that has transformed the way the fashion industry operates. Having first entered into the public consciousness as the voice behind “pop-couture site” www.karlismyunkle.com, Thakkar speaks from experience when he explains that “people are now capable of doing whatever they want, whether it be from their mobile, from their living room or on their laptop… we’re all content creators.”

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It’s a multi-media exhibition tracing the influences on Gaultier’s development from the streets of Paris to the cinema since he emerged as a designer in the 1970s.

It features approximately 140 haute couture and prêt-à-porter ensembles – and in his words it is “so big, so huge, so fabulous and so American”. The mannequins have interactive faces created by high-definition audiovisual projections as well as accessories, sketches, stage costumes, excerpts from films, documentation of runway shows, concerts, dance performances, fashion photography and contemporary art. The exhibition is curated by Thierry-Maxime Loriot of the MMFA. Image of Jean Paul Gaultier in his “Barbès” women’s ready-to-wear fall-winter collection of 1984–85 by Paolo Roversi. Rather genius promo video below by Stéphane Sednaoui featuring the brilliant Karlie Kloss.

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The digital initiative “Drôle de Paris” (which was just previewed on STYLE.COM along with a short interview with me) showcases two signature Jean Paul Gaultier looks, including the statement leather with lace and classic Breton stripes with a kilt – all taken from the Autumn/Winter 13-14 collection. The campaign and 17-second digital film by French fashion photographer Emma LeDoyen were shot at Gaultier’s Paris headquarters in June and styled by me.

You can experience it all by clicking here, some still images and the video are below.

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