The Voice of Fashion
The contemporary royal, crafts enabler and inclusivist, in a candid conversation modelled on the Proust Questionnaire
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Spending moments of connection with my family and nature.
What according to you is the most overrated virtue?
All virtues in excess are self-defeating.
Which talent would you most like to have?
Persuasion.
Why do you think the fashion industry is obsessed with the idea of royalty?
Traditional yet glamorous, patrons and muse, royalty were accustomed to the finest. Why would the fashion industry not be obsessed!
How do your closest friends describe you?
Funny, loving and down to earth.
Who is your favourite royal figure in Indian or global history and why?
Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III of Baroda for his vision, nationalism, emancipation and patronage.
“My initiatives in supporting and promoting crafts and textiles is a simple thank you to the artisan communities for upholding our culture and traditions for centuries.”
Which historical maharani do you most identify with?
None. Different paths, different times.
If you had to describe your work with crafts and textiles in one sentence, what would that be?
My initiatives in supporting and promoting crafts and textiles is a simple thank you to the artisan communities for upholding our culture and traditions for centuries.
What is your favourite Indian textile and why?
The double ikat of Patan for its most intricate technique of tie and dye.
Who is your favourite Indian fashion designer and why?
Ritu Kumar for her understanding, interpretation and documentation of craft. Also, Manish Arora for bringing so much joy to fashion.
What is the most prized item in your wardrobe?
My hand-me-down sari borders and vintage cotton net saris.
Who is your favourite heroine in a work of fiction?
Binodini from ‘Chokher Bali’ by Rabindranath Tagore.
What kind of showstoppers do fashion shows concerned with craft need?
The same that mainstream fashion does, the task is to make craft as aspirational as high fashion.
What is your deepest regret in life so far?
Not learning a form of dance and music, pursuing theatre or writing a book.
Do you have a favourite destination to live in, if you didn’t live in Vadodara?
Prague.
What is your current state of mind?
Creative, content and loving.
If you were to die and be reborn, what would you like to come to earth as?
A bird.
Which living person do you most admire?
My father.
What would your epitaph read?
She lived, she loved, she laughed.
Also Read: https://www.shefaleevasudev.in/proust-questionnaire-with-sanjay-garg/
