Finally I get to involve an element of ‘Indian’ on my blog that very much holds a strong part in me. Get ready for some cheese! I’m sure there are lots of British Asian girls too that whilst being Indian or ‘asian’ to be more broad, who spend their daily lives obsessing over the latest pair of 501 Levis jeans, Gucci handbag or dress from Isabel Marant and Mango (I certainly do). When it comes to the big stuff in our lives like weddings (whether it’s yours or someone elses) we open up our wardrobe full of Indian attire that we have slowly collected over the years. It must be different for everyone, but on my sparse trips to India (about 6 times in my life) I have slowly built a wardrobe full of saris, anarkalis, kurtas and lehengas (names for all of these beautiful outfits) which stand for my go-to choices for Indian events that I seem to happen less and less in my life rather sadly.
Being British born and of Indian origin with parents who were born in East Africa (yes!) there has been times throughout my life of minor confusion. Through my school years I was pretty much the only Indian kid on the block, and as much as that didn’t matter at but the ‘Indian’ side of my life was very much kept at home. I missed out on a handful of overnight birthday parties and out of school hours playtime with my school friends, balancing out hanging out with my huge Indian family and masses of cousins as there was always a birthday, a wedding or some kind of ceremony going on. As I got older and moved to London to study at Art School, I became more proud and less conscious of the fact that I was ‘different’ because being ‘different’ became the norm. Most people I met had a different mother tongue or had lived or been brought up in a different country or if they hadn’t they were more accustomed to the fact that I never had roast dinners on Sundays and during October we celebrated Navratri (9 days of dance festival) prior to Diwali (the festival of light) which is basically our version of Christmas. Though, we did celebrate Christmas too.
Working in the Fashion industry as an assistant stylist at various magazines including Vogue India for a tiny amount of time, starting my blog, while doing a brief stint in reality television Desi Rascals of Sky 1 (lol) and then meeting my husband-to-be during Paris Fashion Week (of all places) 3 seasons ago, I feel like I have very much come into my own. I’m not shy about the fact that I LOVE wearing saris and Indian clothing and want to take advantage of every opportunity I get to wear something. Don’t get me wrong my comforts of jeans, t-shirts and dresses, are very much at the core of my style, but there is something rather extraordinary about the feeling of getting dressed up in a sari for an event. It feels like ultimate femininity and chicness and I love the fact that women of all ages can pull one off and look amazing whilst they do it. Getting married later this year I have decided to go full whack and embrace everything Indian, and doing it in India too. By this I mean no white dress, just colour on colour with the music, dancing and spices to go with it. My friends are also so excited to fully embrace and get involved in wearing Indian attire which is the best feeling in the world!
When I saw this beautiful simplistic sari on Net a Porter by one of my favourite brands for it’s embroidery and colour; Needle and Thread I thought this would be a great way to incorporate my ‘other side’ and parallel love for ‘The Sari’ on the home soil of London. I absolutely love how simplistic and beautiful it is with it’s lovely silk blouse underneath. I purposely didn’t overly fuss with my hair to go for a more boho-esque vibe whilst having really simple make up by Estee Lauder. My style memo still stands for not over doing it. When the outfit is so glam and speaks for itself I am happy to keep hair, make up and accessories relaxed so you can feel really comfortable wearing the not-always-so-comfortable sari. I’m currently in the process of researching loads of Indian designers to plan my outfits and make up looks for the big day (days in my case) ahead. I can’t wait to bring more of this side of me to my blog, Pinterest, Instagram and Instastories. I’m going to make a trip or two to India before the wedding too so if anyone has any great recommendations for shopping or anything else I would love to hear it all. Side note, how amazing would this sari be for a bride generally if you were wearing white? x
Sari | Needle and Thread London available at Net a Porter
Shoes | Aquazzura available at Net a Porter
Hand bracelet, earrings and star ear cuff | Tada and Toy (tribekavita for 15% off)]
Eyebrows | Suman Brows
Makeup | Estee Lauder
Hair | Day two after a blow dry at Clo and Flo (I like it messy)
Photos by Frances Davison
Special thanks to Annie Mehren who helped me get dressed in the sari
In collaboration with Needle and Thread London
