The power ladies
Neha Garodia loves all things “unconventional” and finds “being true to yourself... powerful”. The mother of two has a label, Mi Dulce Anya, that manufactures and exports organic cotton clothes for kids. While she wore a Kiran Uttam Ghosh number first, she changed into a Sabyasachi jumpsuit for Look 2. “I liked that KUG was a statement piece. I like things that are bold.... There is nothing else on this plain black Sabya jumpsuit but the silhouette is so fantastic, it makes you feel, ‘Oh my goodness, I look so beautiful!’’’ she smiled.
Anahita Kayan loves working hard as much as she loves travelling, reading and studying the stars. Her power woman is someone who “can balance life and work and still have time for herself”. Anahita is into food illustration and is also the brains behind The Space at 9/2 Hungerford Street, “a creative consultancy focusing on photography, installations and more”. Coco Chanel comes to her mind when she thinks of power dressing; she picked up a Ranna Gill dress and a Sabyasachi sari for the occasion. “I feel they both complement my personality — funky and sensual,” she smiled.
Restaurateur and food writer Manjri Agarwal likes to introduce herself “as a mother of two first”. Her power woman? Her mother. “Honest, giving, passionate, being a great mom… dropping everything and making your kids believe that mom is there… maintaining harmony between different aspects of your life. All of that together makes you a power woman,” said the Smoke House Deli partner. Manjri chose a Pankaj & Nidhi dress and a Ridhi Mehra jumpsuit for the fashion morning. “I love structured clothes,” said the lady who believes in being a trendsetter and who loved Gayatri Devi for her elegance and grace.
Neha Mimani’s idea of power dressing? “Something in which you feel not only confident but also fulfilled and satisfied,” said the textile designer who runs decor store Onset (Hindusthan Park). A Ridhi Mehra dhoti pants-crop top combo and a black Dozakh gown were her wardrobe choices for the day. Her chosen power dresser? Deepika Padukone.
Blogger and stylist Chikky Goenka slipped into Minaxi Dadoo’s sharara pants and jacket for Look 1 and Ridhi Mehra’s Anarkali with a cape for Look 2. “The sharara pants-and-jacket look is more me... I can just remove the dupatta and start dancing at a friend’s wedding! Power dressing is not about brands… your personality should shine through,” said Chikky, who picked Kangana Ranaut and Priyanka Chopra as her power dressers.
Nidhi Tholia and Varun Bahl were “psychologist and social entrepreneur” Pragati Sureka’s fashion choices for the day. “I am feeling feminine and that, for me, is powerful,” smiled the director of Kornache, a lifestyle management school on Rashbehari Avenue. While Pragati loved the freshness of the Nidhi Tholia churidar-kurta, the Varun Bahl dress was more “me”. “Power dressing is something that shows your inner essence to the outside world,” said Pragati. Her ultimate power dresser? Princess Diana.
Princess Diana got Avanti Murarka’s vote too as the iconic power woman. “Just how she carried herself… people loved her… the power is in people loving you. If somebody misses you, that’s power,” said Avanti, whose Potatoking Foods Ltd. manufactures potato flakes. She believes power lies in freedom and from the 85 Lansdowne display, she picked up a Garo churidar-kurta and an Anushree Reddy dress.
For Pooja Chitlangia, power dressing is “less formal and less high-maintenance and more comfortable”. It’s all about “standing out”, for the interior designer. And she sure did in her Sabyasachi Anarkali and Pankaj & Nidhi dress.
For Varsha Wadhwa, power lies in the attitude. And someone who epitomises that is Queen Rania of Jordan. “She is a perfect blend of the traditional and the modern,” said the fashion designer who runs VW Design Co that also offers graphic videos, web products and blog designing services. A Saumya & Bhavini Modi lehnga in fresh, soft colours... followed by a Sabyasachi dress were Varsha’s fashion choices for the day.
Priyanka Chopra is jewellery designer Vasundhara Mantri’s power dresser and for her, power fashion is all about ease and versatility. No wonder she went for a “easy-to-team-up-with-anything” Dev R Nil dress followed by a Kiran Uttam Ghosh layered Indo-western number.
