Tanya Ghavri is not just a celebrity stylist—she is a star maker. Regarded as fashion royalty in India, she dresses some of the biggest fashionistas in Bollywood. If your Instagram “save” folder is full of Kareena Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, and Sonam Kapoor’s fits, Tanya is the artist behind them. From red carpets to silver screen looks, she has been setting India’s fashion mood board for over a decade now.
Things were different in the Bollywood-style scene when Tanya first arrived on the fashion scene in 2009. The stars always had access to the best designers, but they needed someone to create that show-stopping ‘look.’ Trained at New York’s Parsons School of Design, Tanya had a thorough understanding of what goes into the making of a seamless ensemble. She started as an Assistant Stylist for Aisha, the film that is recognised for its iconic fashion. In a world of ultrafeminine candy floss pink fits, she played around with tailored separates, co-ord sets, and androgynous looks. Tanya dared to be different—and it paid off.
Today, Tanya’s complete understanding of her clients can be seen in every look. She has practically reinvented Janhvi Kapoor in the past year by replacing her modest, girl-next-door picks with risqué, bedazzling gowns. Simultaneously, she has also been chiselling Shanaya Kapoor, Ananya Panday, and Sara Ali Khan’s personal styles. With Tanya shouldering the responsibility for the style needs of Bollywood’s best, things get hectic at times. Some days are a blur of client meetings, research, team discussions, sourcing drills, and styling.
Tanya works hard. But she parties harder. “Work-life balance is important to me. It helps me focus,” she explains. This is why she takes vacations, a lot of them. Scroll through her Instagram feed and you’ll see snippets of exotic holiday destinations between pictures of carefully curated celeb looks. You’ll also spot Tanya in some stellar beach fits, which she carries with as much aplomb as any of the celebrities she styles.
In 2015, Tanya made some additions to her already-inundating list of tasks by starting Dhoom Dhamm Weddings. With co-founder Ashi Dua, Tanya’s brought together the best of fashion, lifestyle, and home decor labels under one roof through pop-ups and trunk shows. Their Dhoom Dhaam Trunk Show is highly popular among the fashion-forward and it recently returned to Mumbai on July 30th. As someone ruling the top tier of the Indian fashion scene, Tanya is a perfect fit for our #POPxoWomenWhoWin series. In a candid conversation, she spoke to us about the business of styling, the stars she loves to work with, and why she swears by the ‘work hard and party harder’ mantra. Excerpts below:
How do you begin your day?
I wake up early and I am very particular about my morning routine. So, I’ll have my collagen and multivitamins. Then I work out and hang out with my mom. This is followed by meetings, fittings, shoots, etc.
What does a typical workday look like for you?
Honestly, every day is different in a stylist’s life. On days when I am shooting, it starts early and goes up to even 12 at night. When I am not shooting, my day is packed with meetings with my team and clients or fittings.
How did your first experience in the fashion industry shape you as a stylist?
I have been lucky. My first experience was with Pernia Qureshi, Sonam Kapoor, and Rhea Kapoor for Aisha. They were amazing and I got to learn a lot. Sonam was spectacular and I couldn’t have asked for a better start to my career because I learned so much. It has been glorious since then.
How did you know that styling was your calling?
I studied design at Parsons School of Design, New York. There, I was doing product design, 2-D design, 3-D design, and fashion design was also a part of it. But New York shaped my liking of fashion, made me love it more than anything else, and I kinda fell in love with it. That’s how it started.
What goes behind the glorious looks that you put together?
It is a creative process. I am constantly looking for new cool designers everywhere and Instagram is such a great medium now for creative people. Then you have to figure out what your client likes (and dislikes). Understanding their comfort zone is super important because how comfortable you are in what you wear, automatically shows on your face. So the process goes like this—understanding your clients, looking at designers from all over the world, working with your team, and taking feedback from them. Then we source clothes, slightly tailor them to the size of clients, and then put the entire look together. You obviously need to coordinate with your styling team and also with the hair, makeup, management, and the actor as well. Everyone needs to be on the same page.
A celebrity that you really enjoy styling and why?
I think it would have to be Kareena Kapoor. She is my first love when it comes to styling and she has a very, very special place in my heart. I love styling her because I feel she is really trusting. She gives in to the creative process. Whoever she works with, she invests her trust in that person and she always says, “you do what you feel will work for me.”
What would you say has been the biggest turning point in your career?
It would have to be styling Freida Pinto for Vanity Fair’s Oscar party. And of course, I’d have to add working with Sonam Kapoor to the list because she is such a style icon.
What has been your biggest professional accomplishment so far?
I’d like to believe that my biggest one is yet to come. However, if I need to pick something from everything I have done so far, it would be starting my own company, Dhoom Dhaam Weddings with Ashi Dua.
What are the skills or qualities that have helped you succeed?
An aptitude for fashion and styling has helped me a lot. Also, while I am super hard working, I also know how to balance my life. I take a lot of time off as well. That balance definitely is very important. It helps me focus when I am working. And just the love and passion for what I am doing helps a great deal.
A mantra that you swear by in your professional and/or personal life?
Stay focussed and stay positive.
What inspired you to start the Dhoom Dhaam weddings?
What inspired me is Ashi Dua, one of my closest friends. She is the reason Dhoom Dhaam Weddings exists today. Honestly, I am just the creative person behind it but she is the one who runs the show.
Can you share some bridal trends for the wedding season ahead?
The best bridal trend is to avoid the norms. Break the rules a little bit, try new things, and don’t get stuck in the mindset that you need to wear certain things just because others do it too. I think the whole point is to make it very unique and very personal. I always say that statement pieces are called so because there is supposed to be just one. This is why I’d suggest don’t overdo the jewellery. But if you really need to pick a trend, ombré is a great idea.
Three fashion tips that you swear by?
A girl should always have a great pantsuit, a great pair of Spanx, and nude shoes because they will give you the feeling of being much taller than you are. I am a short girl so I like nude shoes.
How would you describe your own style?
My style keeps changing but I love the idea of androgyny.
What advice would you give to people considering a career in styling?
If you have the means, time and inclination, study it before getting into styling. It gives you the foundation. Getting an education really helped me. I used to think, ‘Why am I doing this? Why can’t I just work?’ But now I realise how it trained me for the career ahead. And while you are studying try to do as many internships as possible. That helps you understand what the industry is all about.
And lastly, how do you unwind?
I think everyone on Instagram knows how I unwind. I take many, many, many, many many holidays and I take a lot of time off. I am a creative person who is slightly eccentric. I like to spend a lot of time by myself as well and then, of course, I love spending time with my friends and family. I love to go out. I love to drink. I love to party and hang out with my friends, travel the world, and work out. I like to balance everything in life. So work, family, friends, alone time—everything needs to be factored in. The balance is super super important.
Tanya lives in Mumbai. Her journey has been inspiring and wholesome. Team POPxo wishes her all the luck in her future endeavours.
Featured Image Courtesy: Tanya Ghavri