Q1. The thing that amazes me apart from the fact that you are heartbreakingly beautiful is how multi-dimensional you are. Where does all this creativity and passion come from?
Thank you for the kind words. You are generous with your compliments. I always wanted to experience a larger slice of life. And I did not want my blessed looks to be the only forefront of who I am. At a very young age, I realised that I was interested in a lot of things that helped me express who I am creatively and with meaning and depth.
I always feel like time is running out…Trust me I still feel that I can do much more if I utilised my entire day a bit more wisely. I was restless wanting to do so much more with myself. But my guru put this in perspective. It is not being restless, it is understanding that I am mortal and that I have limited time and energy. We are here to experience life and living. It’s up to us as to how much are we willing to pack into this limited time that we all have on this planet.
Q2. You are a designer, model, fitness and fashion influencer apart from being a mother. Share with us the secret to all this multi-tasking
Greed for life and living. Human beings are the most complex creatures on the planet .We can do and be anything that we want to be. Multitasking can happen only with a healthy body and a healthy mind.I always try to keep myself fit so the body or the mind does not come in my way of wanting to do anything in my life. For a healthy body I train hard and have nutritious food. For the mind I do my Yoga Sadana and meditate.
Q3. You are one of the very few designers who does both Indian and Western wear though I assume you must be partial to one. Which one are you more enthused about?
I don’t like to fit into a mould nor do I want to have a bracket of my own. I love to be fluid and ever changing. I like to flow from one style to another style with ease.
For me fashion is all about relevance and appropriateness. I like to be creative with my designs and style keeping the occasion in mind .Where I have to look traditional, I will completely look traditional.Where I have to make a statement with fashion I will. Where I have to look modest I’ll do that as well. But again, all this with keeping my aesthetic sense intact.I love designing and wearing my creations.\
Q4. What inspires your designs? What is your design sensibility?
Inspiration can be found everywhere if you are willing to look. Sometimes the fabric inspires me, sometimes it is my intuition. It maybe a social situation sometimes, a book or travel. My design sensibility is all about comfort and lightness. I give a lot of importance to the cut, fit and finish of my outfits. I don’t follow strong trends and colour palettes. I like my clothes to have versatility and a sense of timelessness.
Q5. Tell us about your latest collection.
My latest collection is a conscious collection but with a modern twist. I am using hand-woven Chanderi from Maheshwar with digital printing, hand embroidery using traditional techniques of Aari, Zardozi and pearl work.
Silhouettes are going to be Indo-Western modern using traditional fabric and techniques of embroidery. I would sum it up as juxtaposing the old with the new.
Q6. What does an average day in the life of Shilpa Reddy look like?
My day starts at 5:30 AM.I do my Yoga Sadana and meditation for an hour. After sending my son to school I train my dogs for half an hour. I workout at the gym for an hour and a half, then it’s time for prayer, breakfast, and my studio. I do multiple things being at my workplace. I’m usually back home by 6:30 PM. Then it’s invariably family time and I am in bed by 10.
Q7. Who are some of your favourite designers?
I love many, many designers for their uniqueness. I love how every designer can think so differently though they are all making beautiful clothes. The designers I enjoy the most are the ones who can construct a garment in the most creative way because I cannot think in that direction. So it intrigues me and I wonder how their mind works.
Q8. A celebrity you would love to style.
Jennifer Lopez!
Q9. What has been your proudest moment so far?
Personally, when I get compliments and acknowledgment for who I am, how I am
and for what I do.
Professionally, my fashion show on the Eiffel tower and My Mrs India pageant win.
Q10. What does fitness mean to you? I am sure you must have inspired a lot of people to take care of themselves.
Fitness to me is more mental than physical. It has trained me not to complain not to find reasons to avoid training, it helps me to be realistic, consistent and perseverant. It has taught me to keep pushing boundaries, keep enduring, not settling, keep learning, keep experimenting, keep changing, keep failing. It brought discipline , regimentation and focus to everything I do.
Q11. Does success come with a price tag?
Success means different things to different people. To me success is when I have a clear conscience, a heartful of love, no regrets, empathy and when I possess a non-prejudiced mind.
Q12. Sustainable fashion is the new buzzword. Thoughts?
It’s very important for every designer to come up with at least one collection which is sustainable and eco-friendly. The fashion industry is one of the largest polluters on the planet .We all have to start making choices that will divert our spending to eco-friendly and conscious brands.
I would say the first step is to start wearing only natural fibres which can be digested by the planet: cottons, blends of cotton, jute, silk, flax, hemp, khadi and all the blends amongst these. Polyfibres are extremely toxic and are quietly getting into our food chain and water resources which will cause a greater havoc on our well-being and health.
Q13. What changes do you see in the world of fashion in the immediate future?
People are talking about slow fashion repeating, recycling, revamping, reconstructing. Sustainable solutions are going to be big in fashion from this point onwards. It is going to be the generation of conserving, preserving and sustaining . You will see a lot of alternative methods of making clothes and recycling them and using them as well.
Q14. We’d love some styling tips for our readers.
Style is a very personal thing, it’s like your own DNA. No one can teach you style. Style evolves with you as you grow with your experiences, with your thought process your surroundings, beliefs and aspirations. All I can share with the readers is that one should wear or experiment with something that does not make them feel like someone else or make them feel uncomfortable. One must be happy in what they are wearing.
