Recently, I attended the Paris Fashion Week 2021 and it was incredible. I travelled for a work event after a very long time and the feeling was incredible; especially being surrounded by so many talented artists and personalities…Minawala interacts with N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe.
This year Paris Fashion Week brought together the world’s most celebrated designers to show off their most breath-taking designs, capping off fashion month with a boom. The First Indian fashion blogger to attend Paris Fashion Week, Masoom Minawala, a digital content creator, global influencer, and entrepreneur chose Indian labels. Minawala talks to about her time at the exhibition and why she is so passionate about promoting Indian design around the world.
How does it feel to be the only Indian Influencer to attend the luxury shows like Hermes and Louis Vuitton at PFW’21?
Nothing brings me more joy than being able to represent my country on a global stage. Being a part of Paris Fashion Week is an incredible experience. Seeing the most recent collections from a variety of fashion houses, brands, and designers, we got a sneak peek at what’s next in the world of fashion. It’s exciting to be the conduit for these worldwide trends to reach my Indian audience.
We loved your outfits, tell us more about them, the inspiration, how you chose the designer etc?
I wore a lot of Emerging Indian Designers in line with my mission of taking Indian Fashion globally. I chose one impressive handloom: Khadi for my Vaishali Studio ensemble. It was critical for me to emphasise and demonstrate to the rest of the world what Indian fashion and designers have to offer. Showcasing a melange of intricate Indian handlooms weaved in western silhouettes was an ode to my heritage. It’s my roots, the rich culture I come from.
How will you describe your journey which began from India a decade ago, to walking the carpet at Cannes Film Festival, 2021, to attending Paris Fashion week?
After completing my studies in London, I noticed this gap in the Indian market, where international fashion and trends were not at accessible price points. That is when the idea of Style Fiesta came into place. All I had to do was convert my readers into customers, bridge that gap between accessibility, affordability, and availability of global trends in India.
It wasn’t easy to say because when I started blogging, it wasn’t looked upon or considered as a career, especially for a woman. After years of creating content, from fashion to lifestyle to social issues, I had the grand honour of representing my country at a global stage like the Cannes Film Festival (two times in a row). Recently, I attended the Paris Fashion Week 2021 and it was incredible. I travelled for a work event after a very long time and the feeling was incredible; especially being surrounded by so many talented artists and personalities.
How was it being a part of Paris Fashion Week?
It was an incredible experience to attend the events. All of these brands come with a lot of heritage in the industry, and seeing everything up and personal was a thrilling experience. Being able to attend shows for some of my most favourite brands like Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Paul Smith and Christian Louboutin was wonderful.
Your future plans?
A lot more exploring to be done in my content journey along with creating an impact with Empowher, a new venture through which I aim to empower homegrown women-led Indian brands, bring visibility to them, and elevate them to a global audience. The ultimate aim is to inspire and motivate women entrepreneurs and help guide them on the road to financial stability and growth.
ALSO READ-Mindful Fashion on colourful canvases