In my heart, I've always identified as trans and non-binary. Pronouns don't really matter to me; as long as you address me with respect, which I didn't receive while growing up.

Queerness is twofold: there’s sexual identity and gender identity. Being queer means disassociating with gender norms, and I think that manifests much earlier. Ever since I was a child, playing with unconventional gender tropes through clothes is something I’ve always done. In kindergarten, I remember turning my shorts sideways, making it seem like a divided skirt as I liked how it looked on me despite being bullied for it.

In my mid-teenage years, I was flipping through Vogue and found myself completely fascinated by a shoot– it was then that I first decided I wanted to be the person that got to ideate and make those clothes worn on magazine covers. I also viewed fashion from an anthropological perspective, seeing how it mattered even in the most remote villages, the way it did in my dad’s hometown. I was obsessed with clothing, and soon, I forged a path that I knew would lead me to Milan for fashion school. Only there did I feel a sense of community; there were so many other oddballs like me! I remember making feathered costumes together to get into clubs, and it was the little things like this that gave me the outlet and release I needed.

Knowing I wanted to work at a magazine in India, I would show up to interviews fully dressed with the intention of impressing them, which actually worked in my favor to get my first job at Elle. I know I am privileged in terms of access and that I can freely express myself through my clothes as a job, but it has been a long journey of patience, hard work, and consistency. I think attaching myself to my art and taking more risks have been things that have helped in finding stable ground in the industry. Queer people are such good observers of the world– we see it from unseen perspectives, we get to see both worlds, and it’s easier for us to push the envelope.

In my heart, I've always identified as trans and non-binary. Pronouns don't really matter to me; as long as you address me with respect, which I didn't receive while growing up. Professionally, I unapologetically try to push an agenda where I make sure that queer people get more jobs, especially where they need to be represented more. When people in the industry do this, the number of trans models increases, and fashion being the forerunner of societal opinions can influence the rest of the world as well. Now, I also make sure my work focuses on sustainability by working with brands rooted in hand-spun and handloom textiles. In the last few years, I’ve tried my part to make a real impact in society, instead of performatively throwing buzzwords around.

Deep down, I've always known that being my unique self is something the world wants to see. I am who I am, which is myself, in spite of what people tell me. It’s a constant process of finding myself, a never-ending process of learning and unlearning, and I’m glad knowing that fashion has always been the friend I’ve had along the way.