30s

Delhi-based Rhea is one of the few women who aren’t afraid to experiment with anti-fit styles. Though she shops across the globe, she also likes to design her own clothes. She prefers to pair off-beat brands with cutting-edge designs from established labels to create experimental looks that flatter her petite frame.

YOUR SENSE OF STYLE

Pure fashion without being possessed by it: Restrained and luxurious, a cultivated smörgåsbord of my life experiences and an insatiable need for black.

YOUR CHALLENGE

My biggest challenge is my hair. I sometimes overdo it, and sometimes, it’s almost underdone. If my hair feels good, I do, too.

FAVOURITE DESIGNERS

Currently, Hedi Slimane (for Saint Laurent), Hakaan, Reed Krakoff, and most of Alexander Wang and Céline. For Indianwear, Rohit Bal and Ashima-Leena.

WORK-DAY UNIFORM

It depends where I’m going. If it is the karkhana or a trip to Old Delhi, I wear a white linen kurta with white linen jodhpurs and my kohlapuris.

EVENINGWEAR

I’m a day-to-night dresser, and usually veer around something unpredictable, but always decidedly formal-think sleek black trousers from The Row with a button-down Dries Van Noten shirt, statement shoes, and freshly done hair.

ARE BRANDS IMPORTANT?

Ultimately, style is innate. Of course, the cut, fit, and finish of high-end labels is incomparable. But, discernment is key. In my opinion, clothes can only define who you are, they can never dictate.

YOUR FASHION MANTRA

Pick from the pandemonium of trends and avoid a rapid consumption of the generic.