She’s an outcome of dire hardwork and strong creative sense.

The smell of freshly brewed coffee engulfs me as I open the door of the coffee shop. I grab my favorite Frappuccino and plop myself on a nearby seat. Opening a book to read, I wait for Priyanka to arrive when my phone lights up with a text message. It says, ‘I’m coming directly from the gym, so I don’t really look nice.’ With a smile on my face, I send her a reassuring text. As she enters, I see a confident girl in casual pants, a loose T-shirt with her hair tied up in a bun.

Priyanka Mishra is a Bollywood fashion stylist who is currently working with the label Deme by Gabriella and also takes up freelancing projects as a side hustle. She has styled Sushant Singh rajput, Sonam Kapoor, Bipasha Basu and many more celebs. As she strives to build her own brand, we asked about her journey and future plans.

What landed you at Bollywood Hills?

The first thing I did was not technically Bollywood, but I was an assistant for the MTV Web Series. It was a small job, I used to mainly just iron the pieces. I did not know anyone back then. I went on to complete my Graduation in Design in Delhi, and my first encounter with Bollywood specifically, was Harper’s Bazaar. I was an intern there for 5-6 months, and that was my first step in Bollywood.

Did you always want to become a stylist?

As a child, I always knew I had to end up in a space which had something to do with clothing. My mother loved stitching, she was all about handicrafts. It was just a hobby for her but growing up I was surrounded by things like colorful threads & embroidery. I always had an attraction towards the garment industry. Eventually, as I started learning more about garments and the clothing industry I realized I am not into garment construction, but I liked putting looks together. Then I decided to get into styling rather than designing.

You aren’t formally educated in the field of styling, tell us about how you grasped the basics of the industry.

I came from a small city with no practical knowledge about the difference between styling and designing. So, I applied for fashion design and started learning designing thinking that is what will get me what I want to do, which I later realized was styling. But it was too late to join a new course, so I just started learning on my own. One thing that helped me a lot is that I read a lot of books. I was my designing college librarian’s favorite student because I spent most of my time there. I actually owe her a lot, because she used to give me books that were meant only for teachers and she really pushed limits for me as she knew I wanted to learn.

I read a lot of history, which is very important for a stylist. You should know what era a garment is coming from, recognize the look, and build a concept. Then I attended a lot of workshops too. I did online courses form ILFS which is a college in Milan, London College of Style, etc. That is how I started learning on my own and then started practicing. My internship at Harper’s was one of the best things that happened to me because I ended up being in styling and all the self-education helped.

You talked about studying the history of fashion, and what is your go-to way to catch on current trends?

I continue my habit of reading. I read a lot of blogs; I also follow WGSN which I think is the best place to get information about almost everything, be it the latest trends in fabrics, colors, silhouettes. You also need to keep an eye on the latest fashion weeks in London, New York, Paris, Milan, etc. and even major stylists’ around the world.

Who is your favorite celeb to style?

I feel in Bollywood I really like Sonam Kapoor because she is one celebrity who will really mix up anything and you never have to think she won’t wear something. She carries everything perfectly. Would love to style Priyanka Chopra. If I had to choose internationally, it’s a dream to work with Rihanna and Lady Gaga. They are the best experimental clothing celebs.

Tell us about one styling project that you are really proud of?

I created a design for Make for India with the theme Humalien, which tells a story of a human and alien having an offspring. It was quite challenging because there were restrictions on colors etc. It is something that doesn’t exist, so I had to use a lot of imagination, and when it was finally displayed in 2015 at the Make for India fashion show, I won the Best Innovative Designer of the Year for it.

Bollywood is known for its sexist behavior, have you faced any of it?

I was really lucky. I have always met people who are supportive of women and just really good people to work with. Currently where I work, of course, has a ratio of 90:10 but I never had to face any sexism.

Being an outsider, what do you think can make Bollywood a merit-based industry?

I am neither completely against recommendation nor do I support it. Many people might be at the top of their class, but they might not know everything when it comes to the practical side. Similarly, I could never finish my degree. I dropped out in the fifth semester due to financial issues because especially the fashion is costly. But right now, I’m working in the industry.

I’ve personally been through an incident where I went for a job which I couldn’t get but with just one recommendation – another person with the same degree and portfolio were approached for the job. Because when you’ve worked with people, and they know how you are, the recommendation works.

So, I think it is slightly unfair, but a recommendation is essential. Don’t completely lock your doors for new people but do a background check and see their work.

You have now decided to work on your own label.

My general answer would be that anyone who has acquired a space in the industry gets to a point after which they’ve had enough of working under someone and want to start a thing of their own. I have done styling and merchandising for Future Group, Viacom, Reliance, etc. I have also worked at the National School of Drama.

Styling has been a dream of mine since childhood; whenever someone asked me what I wanted to be, I used to say a tailor as they are surrounded by clothes all the time. I didn’t know the technical term back then. I don’t want to be a big label, but just for my own peace and content, I want to create my own thing. It will make me feel liberated. When you’re working for someone, you have to follow their style and aesthetics, now I get to create my own world. Also, I have decided to use the money that my label attracts to fund NGOs

Do you have any NGOs in mind?

I have spoken to few of them in Jaipur and Mumbai. I believe educating a child irrespective of its gender is a step forward.

Will your label follow the fast fashion trend?

I am someone who is always in casuals and slippers. I enter any place, even Taj for that matter, in my everyday clothes. So I am someone who is bent towards street-wear and comfortable clothing. Just because it is street-wear doesn’t mean it can’t be worn on occasions, it is about styling it in the right way. So, I am going to do luxury street-wear. I haven’t decided on a name yet.

Building a brand is challenging. What excites you about future challenges?  

I think the biggest challenge at the moment is finding time for my own collection. I am working somewhere, and I also do freelance work which doesn’t allow me to give complete attention to my own label. I also feel the kind of things I am planning are mostly going to cater the western markets, and when it comes to the international market finishing really matters. With all due respect to the workforce in India, finding suitable tailors has been really difficult.

With the wedding season coming in, what are some new Bridal styles?

Answering this would be a little difficult for me because I am not really inclined towards Indian wear, it is not like I haven’t tried but I am just bad at it. I like muted colors and minimal embroidery. I like how there is a blend now. I recently created an ensemble with pastel colors, tassels and a caged top with a skirt, which was western but the thread work and the colors made it Indian. So, the blend between western and Indian these days is fascinating.

What inspiration should Indians take from international fashion?

I don’t know why but everyone seems to have an opinion and that needs to stop. Not to be rude, but people need to mind their own business. If you don’t like something that is backless then simply don’t buy it; but why would you comment on someone who is comfortable with it, wants it and probably wants to flaunt their body. If I am not forcing someone to wear a backless top or a short skirt, the reverse shouldn’t come to me either. The day people leave out these limitations; fashion will get more space to grow. Fashion is an art and the minute you put boundaries, creativity has to take a back step.

You must have used clothes as a form of rebellion. Do you?

I did a particular set for the National School of Drama, and it was a concept inspired by a novel about a boy who is always in an imaginary world. That character was amazing to work with because it was completely based on being free and being a wild person. As a designer that gave me the inspiration to design my own kind of fabrics and that was when I decided to tell people that it just an art and they should stop putting boundaries.

You are in a live-in relationship. Did you earn stares from neighbors?

I am actually on the verge of being thrown out of my house, and house-hunting is the worst thing in Mumbai. Every time I tell the owner that it’s my boyfriend and me who will live there, they make a face and ask questions like if we’re from the same religion, and it’s bizarre. My parents or his parents don’t have an issue, and they are technically the only people who should have a say in this.

Brokers ask us to lie about being married or engaged which is not something I want to do. People judge you because you’re living with someone you love, and the society needs to change that. It is not just the live-in relationship, people also ask questions about my job timings, and I just can’t tell them a particular time because my schedules vary and I feel it is ridiculous to reject someone a house because they come back late.

Living in the 21st century in an urban center like Mumbai, you don’t expect such questions, but it’s there, it’s real.

Yes, I agree. You do have bizarre timings though.

(Both laugh) Currently, there is no real line between my personal and professional life. I wake up at 5 am and go to a shoot probably from 6 am to something around 11 am. Then I go to the company where I am working currently, which is 12 to 6pm. If I have free time post that I run to the markets for my own label or my freelance projects. I do sketches for my freelance work and do checks for my upcoming shoots. My dinner happens post-midnight around 1 or 2 am, and that is when I sleep. So, I don’t have a personal life at all which is a huge complaint from my boyfriend at the moment, and I think I really need to fix that.

It is not just him, my parents are also complaining. I feel bad when I just have to pick up the call and say I can’t talk, I am on set, or just I’m busy. And at the end of the day, when I’m sitting alone, I wonder, what I am working for?

The bottom line is that I am earning for myself and if I am working for 20 hours and sleeping for the other 4, why am I working? I am working towards a life which I am not living, so I do need to find a balance.

To conclude, tell us how Instagram is now becoming a platform that creates new opportunities for fashion stylists.

Instagram is global, and there are no restrictions on who or what you follow. When it comes to self-grooming, you can follow the best people in the industry, and do your research there. Secondly, it helps you recognize your style, so you don’t end up mixing your taste with the requirements of the client. Also, with so many brands coming up, they post requirements and job listings on social media so that it is also beneficial for freshers.