What’s the secret to looking good–your advice?

The secret is a very simple one! Just love yourselves. We see more and more women beating themselves up over beauty benchmarks. All I believe is that everyone should work towards a healthy lifestyle. Try to keep fit, invest time in yourselves. The idea is to feel beautiful and be comfortable in your own skin. Spend time doing things you like. Join a dance class, read a new book, try a new workout routine. Once you feel happy you will feel and look beautiful!

Does being fashionable mean spending lots on designer wear?

Well, as they say, fashion can be bought but style is what comes from within! Everyone loves designer clothes because they might be revolutionary or Avant Grande. But being fashionable is a lot about knowing what works for you and what you love to wear. It’s about styling the right colours and accessories together. And yes, sometimes that means challenging yourselves and experimenting with a lot of designer wear because that’s what gives you more scope to move beyond the ordinary.

What was the idea behind Pernia's Pop-Up Shop?

There was a gap in the luxury market in India that I wanted to address. Pernia’s Pop-Up Shop is about connecting the Indian designers to the right market. We wanted to make Indian fashion global. Yes, it is challenging to streamline designers and keep a balance of luxury and affordability but I believe we are managing just perfect. We have the right products for everyone across the globe.

You styled India’s first fashion film Aisha. What went behind it?

I love working in fashion and working towards something new every time helps me challenge my creativity. Like everything else around us, I think it becomes important to give people something exciting and new to look forward to. Being a stylist for Aisha was an amazing experience. I worked with some of the best people in the industry and it was about taking styling to a wider audience.

Your book ‘Be Stylish’ created a lot of buzz. Who should definitely read it?

‘Be Stylish’ is an extension of myself. I wanted to share my insight about dressing and styling. The prose is very witty and fun. It addresses the challenges of dressing up for all different occasions’ body types and personalities.

How do you manage so many roles at the same time?

I enjoy my work immensely and therefore I find the time to do everything! Being constantly in motion helps me keep motivated, creatively satisfied and more efficient. The energy I feed off in dance gives me clarity and focus at Pernia’s Pop-up Shop.

What is your take on money? Is it important?

Money is important for education, for a decent living and to be able to pursue one's career. Having said that, I don’t believe gaining money should be the main objective of one’s life. If you do what you love and are able to build good relationships, I believe one can be happy even without a lot of money.

Do you manage your own money? Do you save and invest for your future goals?

Until now I have not managed my own money. I have my father doing it for me but that is what my New Year resolution is; to start and manage my own accounts and to manage money as an adult now.

One of India’s leading style icons and fashion entrepreneurs, Pernia has styled Bollywood’s first fashion film Aisha and also authored a book on style and fashion

First published in Empower, March 2016

olmdesk@outlookindia.com