CHENNAI: Ever wondered how Sania Mirza always slays the red carpet? Her secret weapon is her stylist and sister Anam Mirza, who is a fashion genius, curator and the woman behind The Label Bazaar — which is all set to sweep the city’s most stylish off their feet from today at Hyatt Regency. This is her second exhibition in the city and Anam is bubbling with wise observations and quips.
“I was told that people here aren’t very fashionable or open to experiments, but we got a lot of labels here last time that weren’t very generic and people were not afraid to try it out!” she smiles, over a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. With styling her sister for a few years, came the realisation that there was lack of good designers in Hyderabad, and a lack of fresh designs.
So The Label Bazaar came to existence, and slowly grew. Now, they exhibit in multiple cities including Mumbai and Dubai, among several others. Already an on-the-rise talent in the world of curating exhibitions, Anam is refreshingly earnest, down-to-earth, and doesn’t believe in spending too much on clothing. “We have a lot of designers, but value for money has always been an important factor in deciding,” she opines.
We can’t help but ask, why are certain designers and garments outrageously priced for no apparent reason? “I’m still trying to figure it out,” she laughs. “I don’t know if it’s only for a name, because Ritu Kumar is reasonable for the product she delivers. So I don’t know why other designers can’t be.”
Her eyes light up as she talks about fashion on social media. “Instagram…it’s like a newspaper on fashion,” she says. “People think my job is only about shopping, and even though it looks like I’m browsing Instagram all day — it’s so much more than that. I’m trying to curate fashion suitable for a particular city. We have a lot of linen and silks for the city, and it’s not easy doing that only through photos.”
Anam has honed her eye for style to the extent that she can tell what brand a piece is from just by looking at it. She has always wanted to have a label of her own, but does not think she is close to being a designer despite this level of accuracy or interest. “It’s something you need to learn formally. You can be born with a fashion sense but can’t make a perfect stitch unless you study it,” she avers.
She loves experimenting and her go-to trick, for everything from corporate events to dinners — is to put on a pair of jeans, shirt and a coloured blazer. She also prefers not to show too much skin, and wearing a scarf has come to be one of her signature looks. Some of her favourite designers include Rimple and Harpreet, and Doodalage.
Rapid Fire
Stilettos or sneakers: Sneakers
Bags or shoes: Bags
Tom Ford or Louis Vuitton: LV
Online or in store: In store
Neon or pastel: Pastel
In Her Styling Kit
Denims- blue or black
Knee-length flowing dress
Lots of rings and bracelets
The Label Bazaar will be held today at Hyatt Regency from 10 am to 8 pm. For details call: 61001234