Biography

Fashion and styling has been my passion ever since I was very little. I love it because it's constantly changing and styling people makes them evolve into somebody else. I love the way a certain outfit can change the entire character of a person.

My work generally involves using clothes to add depth to a character.

But fashion isn't just about character – its fun, funky and always fresh and young. A bit like graphic design – where you take function and form and make it stylish. I started out training in graphic design – making fliers and clothing labels for small companies and friends who were opening shops or throwing parties. Graphic design is great but it's a slow business and the big bad world of fashion was constantly beckoning.

One day I got a call from my friend who was a designer for Globus - they were looking to hire a graphic artist to add some zest and originality to their clothing brand, F-21, a youth oriented label. That was it – that was the break I had been waiting for.

Few successful months down the line, I became a fashion consultant. That was my foray into styling. The great thing was I could constantly practise on myself. It sounds silly but I would spend quite a long time, in those early days, styling myself and thinking about exactly what I was wearing. At that point MTV used to do a show called Style Check (or whatever it was called – CHANGE IT) and they sourced me out as someone who had this unique style – my mum almost cried when she heard, she couldn't believe people could actually think what I was wearing was fashionable.

Post the MTV broadcast I got a call from the producers asking if I would like to style for them on a full time basis. How could I refuse – the job allowed everything a stylist could ask for – fun, creativity, no restrictions and catering to the youth. Three years down the line and I was confident to go out on my own and become a freelance stylist.

Now I've done about over 175 ad films including ads for Airtel, Hutch, Motorolla, Hero Honda, Maruti, Jhonson, Bpl, Zee Tv, Star Tv, Pantaloon and Titan shades, Hindustan Times. I have also recently finished styling for Ram Gopal Verma's Shiva. What's important to me now is to maintain that little bit of 'me' in each one. I suppose eventually I have to brand my work, leave that mark. Somewhat like the famous and fabulous New York Stylist Patricia Field has done for herself. Now if a show like Sex and the City came to India, I would be first to stand in line for the job as stylist. That would truly be a dream come true!