Being an Indian woman in fashion [1], I've understood a lot over the years about what the effects that a lack of representation in media can have on a young person growing up. It's important to see diversity across all platforms, which is why I thought it was about time to highlight the incredible South Asian women behind these amazing brands we can all appreciate and support.
Growing up, I didn't really see anyone like myself in magazines, billboards, or on TV — I quickly learned that this is a sentiment felt deeply among many of the women I spoke to.
"There's, unfortunately, a lot of pressure for many of us to follow a path that is more 'secure' or 'sophisticated' from our communities and families. At the end of the day, we all need to do what is right for us."
"Just because we are all South Asian doesn't mean we are going to be passionate about the same career paths. There's, unfortunately, a lot of pressure for many of us to follow a path that is more 'secure' or 'sophisticated' from our communities and families. At the end of the day, we all need to do what is right for us. Representation matters. Being a South Asian in the fashion and beauty space allows me to pave the path for those after me. It allows consumers to finally see products and campaigns that speak to them and their features," said model and Haati Chai Jewellery and Amarilo Jewellery designer Stella Simone.
I chatted with Aparna Avasarala who created the fashion brand Denimrush [2], a label that creates one-of-a-kind, tie-dye pieces and the brains behind the beauty brand Live Tinted Deepica Mutyala. I even talked to Payal Kadakia Pujji, who created the multimillion-dollar company ClassPass. There's a little bit of something for everyone — What's not to admire about a group of passionate women building an impressive lineup of companies?
"I looked different, I was different, but I embraced being different."
When it came to what she wishes she knew earlier before starting ClassPass, Payal Kadakia Pujji revealed, "Early on, when I was fundraising for ClassPass, most of the investors were men. Most of the founders they funded were men. I looked different, I was different, but I embraced being different. My background equipped me with a unique perspective and allowed me the grace to be comfortable while being different. I've learned my differences were what truly made me unique."
Ahead you can read more of my interview with these empowering women. We discussed a variety of topics from what style means to them to the best career advice they've received. Keep reading to see all of the interviews ahead and prepare to be inspired.
Stella Simona of Haati Chai Jewellery and Amarilo Jewellery
What Does Being South Asian Mean to You?
Just because we are all South Asian doesn't mean we are going to be passionate about the same career paths. There's, unfortunately, a lot of pressure for many of us to follow a path that is more "secure" or "sophisticated" from our communities and families. At the end of the day, we all need to do what is right for us. Representation matters. Being a South Asian in the fashion and beauty space allows me to pave the path for those after me. It allows consumers to finally see products and campaigns that speak to them and their features.
What Does It Mean to Have Style Right Now?
Style is timeless — it's not focussed on trends. For me, style has always embodied confidence. It's knowing who you are and what you like — it's an extension of your personality.
The Best Piece of Career Advice You've Gotten?
You know your business — always stick to what you feel is best.
Something You Wish You Knew Before Starting Your Business?
I honestly wish I understood the importance of self-care. Everything you go through, your business goes through. If you are not fully present, your business will suffer. Maintaining balance at all times should be your utmost priority and not something to be pushed off for later when you're "more available." Shop The Brand: Haati Chai Jewellery [4] and Amarilo Jewellery [5]
Seema Bansal Chadha of Venus et Fleur
What Does Being South Asian Mean to You?
Diversity is important in every industry; we can only make sure that we are serving everyone if our leaders come from different walks of life. I am extremely proud to be South Asian and bring inspiration from my culture, family morals, and experiences to the work that I do, in both design and philosophy.
What Does It Mean to Have Style Right Now?
Style is about being your authentic self. There are a lot of trends out there that change daily, but it's all about what you feel comfortable in and what works for you. Personally, I love a classic feminine silhouette. Sometimes, I'll buy certain trendy pieces, but it is pretty rare. I tend to lean toward classics — it's a good investment, and you can wear those types of items for multiple seasons.
The Best Piece of Career Advice You've Gotten?
You don't know everything, so hire those that do in the areas that you don't!
Something You Wish You Knew Before Starting Your Business?
I expected it to be stressful, but I didn't truly realise what starting my own business would be like. There's constantly a lot of pressure being put on you, and I feel lucky to have my husband, Sunny, and my team to lean on. Also, I wish someone told me to document the beginning. Having more photos and videos of us working in our first few spaces would have been awesome.
Shop The Brand: Venus et Fleur [6]
Payal Kadakia Pujji of ClassPass
What Does Being South Asian Mean to You?
I believe strongly that we should celebrate our culture. Having more South Asian entrepreneurs and mentors allows us access to diversity in the world. Appreciating and having a passion for my culture has given me a clearer focus, fuelled creativity and innovation, instilled deep customer empathy, taught me resilience, and made me a stronger and more confident leader. It's what adds colour to our lives. Connecting with different cultures keeps us connected to the real world and connected in our lives. It's what makes us human.
What Does It Mean to Have Style Right Now?
I fell in love with dance at the age of 3, and Indian dance involves beautiful clothing rich in colour and patterns. Embracing the elegance of South Asian style and weaving in the threads of my upbringing allow me to stay true to my values no matter what.
The Best Piece of Career Advice You've Gotten?
That I needed to bet on myself. I had a big idea, and the biggest commitment needed to come from myself.
Something You Wish You Knew Before Starting Your Business?
Early on, when I was fundraising for ClassPass, most of the investors were men. Most of the founders they funded were men. I looked different, I was different, but I embraced being different. My background equipped me with a unique perspective and allowed me the grace to be comfortable while being different. I've learned my differences were what truly made me unique.
Shop The Brand: ClassPass [7]
Shilpa Shah of Cuyana
What Does Being South Asian Mean to You?
As a South Asian American, fashion gave me a different kind of voice. It was a symbiotic relationship — the more confidence I gained in the space and personally, the more I could create the space for a South Asian voice. Fashion gave me the opportunity to increase representation of our unique culture but also create new forms of expression that personally relate to so many others like me.
What Does It Mean to Have Style Right Now?
Expression of personal style is difficult right now since the inspiration is limited to what's around us at home. There are many more constraints and fewer reasons, if you will, to get dressed up. However, it's important to still channel the feeling you want for yourself each day. It's important to dress the way you want to come across. The days that I am most tired are the ones I spend the most energy getting dressed. It helps me be more effective and get through my day with positivity! Since most of my meetings are virtual, I spend the most time on jewellery. I keep the tops simple and accessorise jewellery to brighten my mood!
The Best Piece of Career Advice You've Gotten?
When I was turning 24, my mentor at Disney, Paul Yanover, shared some insightful advice. He said that in your 20s, I was like a rocket ship. While it may seem that my career decisions were small, they made a big impact on my overall trajectory. I could be aiming for Venus and end up on Mars! It was important to know where I wanted to end up and really focus on making decisions to get me there. I shared this story with Elizabeth Segran, and it ended up being an inspiration for a book she just published The Rocket Years!
Something You Wish You Knew Before Starting Your Business?
I wish I knew how to better handle the stress of starting and helping run the business. I have developed methods to keep my perspective over the years. But at the beginning, it's hard to not let every issue, big and small, overtake your mindset. Clear prioritisation and learning to stay even-tempered across the board is one of the most important parts of being in a leadership position.
Shop The Brand: Cuyana [8]
Sajani Amarasiri of Kola Goodies
What Does Being South Asian Mean to You?
I am full of pride and gratitude. I'm proud because I am able to bring our wellness rituals and ingredients myself with Kola Goodies and not wait for someone else to popularize it. The $70B wellness industry has even less diversity than the fashion and beauty industry, even though many of the trendy wellness ingredients stem from our region, and it's something I wanted to change. As for gratitude, the modern consumer is open to new ingredients and experiences and having more cultural awareness, and that helps fuel our growth.
What Does It Mean to Have Style Right Now?
Style right now for me has some important elements: it's smart on the wallet and supports inner peace and comfort. I think people with style right now are becoming more aware of not giving in to excessive consumption — they are taking care of their inner peace and mental health, and they are mixing and matching comfortable pieces with trendy pieces and reducing expenses on new clothing, which helps not only our planet but also our bank accounts.
The Best Piece of Career Advice You've Gotten?
During my corporate career, I was fortunate enough to seek advice and benefit from amazing leaders. What I usually do with them is write them down, group common themes together, then introspect on how I could benefit from it, because the way all of us internalize advice is different. I highly recommend this approach, so you can piece together great tips on everything from a 1:1 meeting to a podcast or book you read.
Something You Wish You Knew Before Starting Your Business?
Start before it's perfect. Most entrepreneurs I know are perfectionists and want customer experiences, products, and pictures to be perfect. This serves us well at most times, but it also can be hard on us. Be OK with not everything being perfect by making peace with the fact that when you are growing, you can evolve and grow into that perfect company you know you can make it be. It is OK to not do all of it at the time.
Shop The Brand: Kola Goodies [9]
Payal Shah of LˊDezen
What Does Being South Asian Mean to You?
I feel like I have embraced all my cultures and have been able to pick the best of them. My designs are inspired by natural forms and architecture from my upbringing in Hong Kong — my business acumen comes from being Indian, and that allows me to think practically about my work. Overall, it is a great balance of both being creative with the craftsmanship and also being able to sell creativity in a profitable way.
What Does It Mean to Have Style Right Now?
For me, style is all about what the brief requires. If I am walking into a Zoom business meeting, I want to dress smart and not be distracted from the conversation I am having. If I am going to brunch with my friends, I want to dress fun, something that will really put me in the mood, and I'll test out a few new looks. I am constantly changing my style because I love experimenting. My friends call me a chameleon because I love dressing based on the occasion we are going for or a place we are travelling to.
The Best Piece of Career Advice You've Gotten?
I have two, and both are from my South Asian parents: 1) What do you consider growth? Is it all of the fancy features that you just added to your product? A new office, new employees, and a glowing article you just were featured in a leading industry publication is all great, but it doesn't constitute growth. Growth means that you're building a product and adding customers. 2) Spend less than you earn. There is no point living check to check and not saving up for the rainy days. This probably applies now more than — COVID is a sheer example of an unforeseen circumstance and, luckily, we had saved up enough for my company to not let anyone go and stay afloat. We are being even more careful with our resources, especially this year. Saved resources allow us to give you a choice.
Something You Wish You Knew Before Starting Your Business?
Perhaps the biggest misconception about starting your own business is that you're only focusing on chasing your passion. I am not just going to be designing handmade jewellery 24/7. That may consume 15 percent of my time. Instead, I am spending a chunk of my time on developing business strategies and marketing campaigns, shooting and styling jewellery, selling and organising shows, interacting with customers and manufacturers, and doing administrative tasks like looking over bookkeeping, invoicing, and payroll. In short, I am a business owner first and then a creator and designer of jewellery.
Shop The Brand: L'Dezen [10]
Rooshy Roy of Aavrani
What Does Being South Asian Mean to You?
Being a South Asian woman in the beauty industry today means a responsibility to all South Asian women globally to celebrate our roots and to own our most natural beauty — not through the lens of outdated beauty standards or with the often-aspirational view towards the West. Our hyperpigmented skin, our dark eyes, full eyebrows, and thick hair are so beautiful, but we tend to alter and adjust these very things in order to "fit in" regardless of where we are in the world.
What Does It Mean to Have Style Right Now?
To have style is to be wildly intentional but to appear effortless. The best way to appear effortless is to actually be effortless. And to be effortless, you must be yourself. That's what style means to me — now and always.
The Best Piece of Career Advice You've Gotten?
Gravitate toward your interests that make you lose track of time. Through this, you'll find your natural talents — continue pursuing them at all costs. Your career will follow because it won't feel like a career, it will feel like a natural part of your life.
Something You Wish You Knew Before Starting Your Business?
No one knows what they're doing. Literally no one. Spend more time meeting new people and building relationships relevant in your industry and less time trying to plan out more than 12-24 months ahead (depending on the nature of your business). One of the biggest lessons that this pandemic taught me is that life doesn't care about your plans. Plans are tenuous, but human relationships are not. Nurture them constantly.
Shop The Brand: Aavrani [11]
Alisha Datwani of Alaya Jewellery
What Does Being South Asian Mean to You?
Growing up, most of my style inspiration came from the immediate world around me — which, unfortunately, didn't look like me. Like many immigrant kids, the love for and expression of my culture grew over time, and it's an honour to be a part of that space now. While representation is still limited, I've found such a supportive community among other South Asian entrepreneurs. Although my pieces are not inherently Indian, I've found a way to weave that side of me into the product details as a nod to my heritage. It's a part of the brand that made me feel like I could be myself. My culture is truly what fostered my entrepreneurial spirit in the first place.
What Does It Mean to Have Style Right Now?
Style is about how the pieces you choose make you feel, especially right now when the opportunities to express yourself are limited. Getting dressed up for the first time this summer felt so good and normalizing. Pulling together an outfit and accessorising is a form of self-care to me. For the first time in a while, I felt like myself. That's really what style is — whatever makes you feel like the best version of yourself.
The Best Piece of Career Advice You've Gotten?
Just because this is where you are now doesn't mean it's where you have to stay. As a one-woman team making decisions about my business, there is definitely a sense of permanence to things — whether that's my choice in packageing or site design. Letting go of that and learning how to iterate and adapt has been so important for me. There's never going to be a point where everything is perfect, but that's the beauty of growing a small business.
Something You Wish You Knew Before Starting Your Business?
Every win is just the beginning of the next challenge, and if you look at everything as a beginning, you will always strive for more. Initially, this mentality was a struggle for me, but over time, I've embraced it as a part of the process. At times, it may feel like you can never really turn off because there's always more — something bigger, something better. I'm learning the very important lesson of just slowing down for a minute and celebrating the little wins. Entrepreneurship is all about resilience.
Shop The Brand: Alaya Jewellery [12]
Amy Devan of House of Naveda
What Does Being South Asian Mean to You?
It makes me proud to be part of a cultural movement — pushing past "traditional" professional paths. Growing up in a South Asian household for many means choosing from a handful of predefined career paths, be it medicine, engineering, business, or finance. I was one of the few (at least in my circle) who was encouraged to chase my creative dreams. The only caveat my parents ever had was, be willing to put in the work, stay focussed, and tune out any noise.
What Does It Mean to Have Style Right Now?
In quarantine, style has scaled back to what's most [important]: comfort and functionality. It's forced us all to think about fashion in a different way. For example, I may be working from home in sweats and a tee, but I'll maybe subconsciously wear jewellery, a blazer, or something that makes me feel more ready to tackle the work day and ultimately more inspired.
The Best Piece of Career Advice You've Gotten?
My mom, who's always been my biggest professional icon, has always said, "Work as hard as you can while also enjoying the journey. Never lose site of happiness along the way." She still says this to me when I'm stressed or unsure about my next steps. Sometimes, it's not what I want to hear in the moment, but it centres me.
Something You Wish You Knew Before Starting Your Business?
I wish I understood that starting a business will change your life completely. My day-to-day now is worlds apart from pre-Naveda. There are a number of sacrifices one makes in those early days (and now) — like sleep and missing social events — and you have to be comfortable with that. Like others in my shoes, you find a way to work through it.
Shop The Brand: House of Naveda [13]
Neha Govindraj of Glowbar
What Does Being South Asian Mean to You?
Representation. I'm new to the industry — prior to Glowbar, I was in the finance and consulting world. I don't think I look at my purpose in fashion and beauty any differently than I looked at my purpose in [my previous position]. Regardless of what I'm doing, I want to be an example of another South Asian that showed the highest level of success is possible for anyone who wishes for it. Being a South Asian to me means working hard everyday to make sure that statement rings true one day.
What Does It Mean to Have Style Right Now?
Confidence — it can make anything look good. Oh, and taking good care of your skin.
The Best Piece of Career Advice You've Gotten?
Find your thing, whatever it is, and be the best at it.
Something You Wish You Knew Before Starting Your Business?
Honestly . . . nothing. In entrepreneurship, ignorance is bliss.
Shop The Brand: Glowbar [14]