Brands
Nofiltr.Group shifts focus to building creator careers, not deals
After nine years, the company focuses on building careers, not chasing brand deals
MUMBAI: In the creator economy, management often isn’t management at all. Most so-called creator management firms fall into two camps: consultants who broker brand deals and take a cut, and assistants who handle logistics and schedules. Neither builds a career, and neither safeguards a creator’s most valuable asset – their audience’s trust.
The problem is structural. Management companies earn by saying yes, but trust grows by saying no. Turn down the wrong campaign today, and your creator is worth more tomorrow. Say yes too often, and you chip away at what makes them irreplaceable.
Nofiltr.Group, led by CEO Hitarth Dadia, has long felt this tension. “We’ve turned down more money on behalf of our creators than most companies in this space have ever earned,” he said. “A management company doesn’t do that. An incubator does.”
Founded in 2017, Nofiltr was never just a manager. It was an incubator: spotting raw creative talent, often from small towns, and building careers from the ground up. Formats were developed, audiences constructed, and singularity protected. Saying no was part of the job.
Over time, the company’s label drifted towards management. Wider rosters, faster brand deals, quarterly targets – but the instinct to protect creativity never wavered. Nofiltr has built more than 15 creator careers from scratch, and prides itself not on the deals it closed, but the ones it killed.
Now, the company is clearing the clutter. It is doubling down on incubation and career building. Success will no longer be measured in campaigns per quarter, but in the long-term value of creators. Nofiltr is returning to its roots, where the structure finally matches the instinct.
Meanwhile, Dadia is preparing another venture to tackle a bigger challenge: giving creators ownership of the intellectual property they produce. A problem every other creative industry has solved, but the creator economy has yet to fix. The clock is ticking.
Brands
Malaika Arora launches accessories brand Maejoy
The Bollywood star’s lifestyle brand, built with Myntra and Exceed Entertainment, promises aspirational fashion without the high price tag
MUMBAI: Malaika Arora is not the first Bollywood star to put her name on a brand, and she will not be the last. But Maejoy, the accessories label she has launched in partnership with Myntra Jabong India Private Limited (MJIPL) and talent outfit Exceed Entertainment, at least has a sharper pitch than most. The brand drops with 250-plus styles spanning handbags and lab-grown diamond jewellery, two categories that sit squarely in the sweet spot between aspiration and affordability, and lands on Myntra’s platform from day one, putting it in front of millions of shoppers without breaking a sweat.
The handbag range covers the full gamut: crossbody bags, structured shoulder bags, bucket bags, totes, workwear classics, backpacks and clutches, rendered in synthetic leather, raffia, braids, satin, rhinestone and metallic finishes. The jewellery line runs to rings, earrings, pendants, bracelets and tennis bracelets in silver, gold and rose-gold tones, set in 925 sterling silver with IGI and GCI certified lab-grown diamonds. The brand’s guiding philosophy, “The Joy of Being Me,” stakes its claim on individuality and self-expression; its three brand pillars, Authentic, Empowering, Accessible, are the usual suspects, though the lab-grown diamond bet is savvier than it sounds. Lab-grown stones now sell at a fraction of the price of mined ones, and the category is growing fast in India as younger buyers wise up to the arbitrage.
“Maejoy is a labour of love. Throughout my career, whether on screen, in business, or through my personal style, I’ve championed the idea that fashion should be empowering yet effortless. The brand aims to democratise global fashion trends while offering women something that extends the feeling of luxury every day, be it a lab-grown diamond or a perfectly crafted handbag,” said Malaika Arora, founder of Maejoy
MJIPL, the B2B wholesale arm of Myntra, is putting its design and brand-building muscle behind the venture. Suman Saha, chief experience officer and head of house of brands at MJIPL, was bullish on the tie-up.
“Maejoy brings together Malaika Arora’s distinctive style perspective with a strong proposition in the accessible yet elevated accessories space. We believe the brand’s fashion-forward designs and thoughtful positioning will connect strongly with discerning consumers.”
Suman Saha, chief experience officer, head of house of brands, MJIPL
Afsar Zaidi, chief executive of Exceed Entertainment, the talent management firm that helped broker the deal, has worked with MJIPL before and was characteristically direct about what makes Arora an unusually bankable partner.
“Building celebrity-led brands requires a delicate balance of authenticity and market viability. Malaika is a rare talent who commands equal respect as a fashion icon and a savvy businesswoman. We are proud to facilitate this partnership that brings together her creative clout and Myntra’s brand-building excellence,” said Zaidi
Celebrity fashion brands live or die on one question: does the star actually wear it, or is the cheque the only thing they signed? Arora, who has spent three decades as one of Bollywood’s most-watched style references, has at least built a plausible case. Maejoy is live now on www.myntra.com and the Myntra app. The real test, whether shoppers buy the handbag or just the hype, starts today.
