She started off as a freelance model and went on to win the Miss Elegance World contest in 2008. Today, Calcutta girl Konkana Bakshi is a certified image consultant and etiquette educator, with her own luxury finishing school — Mumbai-based Savoir Faire Academie. With plans of getting her finishing school to Calcutta in the near future, Konkana spoke to t2 about the need for etiquette grooming and how it’s done right.
What is Savoir Faire Academie about?
Savoir Faire Academie is a luxury finishing school in Mumbai that I started five years ago, looking at the great need in today’s world. With India fast emerging as a global power doing international business, meeting people of diverse cultures and building relationships is a necessity — both for business and personal growth. And the finesse with which you build this relationship is the path to success.
I went to a finishing school in Switzerland myself but never thought I would establish this academy. When I would help out my mother in her diamond business and attend these business meetings, a lot of these wealthy diamond merchants would ask me about how to dress, how to host a party, or questions like ‘Is my body-language right?’. So that’s how I got the idea of starting Savoir Faire.
It’s not just about looking good and being polished. The way you talk, your confidence and the way you conduct yourself earns you credibility, authority, likeability and success.
We get a lot of queries from Calcutta so we’re launching it here in a couple of months.
Tell us about the work Savoir Faire does…
We have a great team and we operate out of the Trident (Nariman Point) in Mumbai. I am the founder-chairperson and we have a team of experts, handpicked by me. I am also the image consultant and etiquette educator.
Savoir Faire does not teach you how to hold a fork and knife to eat as today’s generation knows how to do that. It’s more than that. They want to learn finesse and aristocracy in a deeper manner. We specialise in personal transformation. We do a colour, body, style and lifestyle analysis. Then things like how to choose the right kind of accessories. We do photoshoots to demonstrate that and create an image profile. Each consultation takes two-four hours.
Social etiquette is separate. Every service we provide is bespoke and customisable. We do corporate, bridal, personal and open workshops.
We also specialise in luxury appreciation, which nobody understands in the country. Just because people have the money to buy brands, all brands are not for everybody. A Gucci bag that you like might not be the right brand for you. The real connoisseurs of luxury stick to one brand. I think a match made in heaven was Jane Birkin with her Birkin-Hermes and Princess Diana and Dior.
Things that people go wrong with when it comes to etiquette...
When we meet a person for the first time, it’s eye to body. You don’t really look at the eyes or face — it’s neck down. So the colour you wear reflects on your face and the first impression is formed in seven seconds. So the person has already evaluated if you’re worthy of that person’s time socially or businesswise.
The things you can go wrong with are known as grooming faux pass. Too much make-up, unpolished hair, wrong colours, too much print and pattern, wrong nail polish. For men, it’s white socks for business meetings. Men also tend to wear the wrong colour and that takes away from their business credibility. A lot of girls wear the wrong hair colour and that makes your hair look unhealthy. Blonde and balayages don’t always look good. We help clients understand their own style first. Like, a colour that Indians should avoid is royal blue. When Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge had come to India, she wore a royal blue dress but that looked good on her. It will not look good on Indians. Each individual has a dominant and a secondary style and we help people merge the two together in the best way.
Any celebrity who is doing it right?
I like Anne Hathaway whose style falls in the classic-elegant and romantic category. The Duchess of Cambridge has transitioned to a classic-elegant and romantic from her personal sporty style.
Colours that Indians should avoid?
Royal blue at any cost, and blues should be carefully used around your face. Most women have warm undertones and should wear warm colours like tangerine, burnt orange, egg yolk and the colours in the Indian spice box, as they range from autumn to deep autumn. If you wear the right colour, you may not need any make-up at all.