“Money looks better in the bank than on your feet.” – Sophia Amoruso, #GIRLBOSS
No offence to the American businesswoman who started our favourite label, Nasty Gal. But we would like to make a tiny addition to Amoruso’s statement.
“Money looks better in the bank than on your feet. And once you have enough money in the bank, spend it on your feet!”
That’s the motto that the Boss Babes that made it to our list live by. At what point can you start calling yourself a #BOSSBABE, you ask? Well, if you run a successful business, you are your own boss and you identify as a woman.
1.Priyanka Gill
Boss Babe Credentials..
The founder and CEO of POPxo.com and our own in-house boss babe whose style we all admire. What started as a small blog in 2006 is now a digital media company and India’s largest community for women. Gill is also an investor in multiple award-winning startups besides being a contributing editor at Harper’s Bazaar India, a regular contributor to international publications, and an avid art collector.
Raiding Her Closet For…
All the blacks! For formal events, it’s always a black cocktail dress for Gill. Structured and sharp, we’re loving the texture play with embroidery, net and faux furs. Also on our radar are her glamorous Indian wear choices, with everything from floral Anushree Reddy lehengas to gold Chantilly lace sarees.
2. Pernia Qureshi
Boss Babe Credentials…
Qureshi heads her own e-commerce company, eponymously named Pernia’s Pop Up Shop, housing over 500 Indian luxury-wear labels. She’s also a trained Kuchipudi dancer and an experienced stylist who is credited with our favourite cult fashion movie, Aisha.
Raiding Her Closet For…
Contemporary Indian labels – both off-beat and mainstream. Plus, her MASSIVE collection of accessories. If we had to pick, we’d go with Anamika Khanna cape sarees and Outhouse everything, please?
3. Roohi Jaikishan
Boss Babe Credentials…
Roohi Jaikishan serves as Executive Director at RR Oomerbhoy, a family-run Indian FMCG company, manufacturing and importing everything from olive oil to breakfast cereal. She is also a keen purveyor of the arts, having a masters degree in the field and a diploma in Art Appreciation from Sotheby’s.
Raiding Her Closet For…
The couture, dahlings! As one of Gucci’s most prominent ambassador, Jaikishan’s wardrobe is full of vintage Gucci. We’ll take the Swarovski bodysuit from Alessandro Michele’s AW 17 collection (already spotted on Rihanna). Also, all her holiday wear – an eclectic mix of bohemian prints, silhouettes and accessories for when it’s #VacayTime
4. Ananya Birla
Boss Babe Credentials..
The daughter of industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla, Ananya, didn’t follow in the footsteps of the preceding 5 generations of one of the biggest business houses in India. Instead, at 17 years of age, she founded Svatantra, a start-up that provides microfinance to rural women. Now at 23, she is the first Indian artiste with an English single that has gone platinum.
Raiding Her Closet For…
Where do we start? Ananya is the living embodiment of rock chic. For evenings, it’s metallic chainmail dresses, and for the AM, it’s invariably ripped jeans. Can we steal the Vetement-esque oversized dad jeans, please?
5. Cecilia Morelli Parikh
Boss Babe Credentials..
She first came to India on a project – to help launch the Indian titles of GQ and Vogue with Condé Nast. She saw an opportunity to adhere to the demands of the Indian luxury consumer (that relied almost exclusively on trips abroad to buy luxury items) and stayed on. She also found her Prince Charming, Rohan Parikh in the process. In 2011 she founded Le Mill, a luxury concept store with Julie Leymari.
Raiding Her Closet For…
All the easy, breezy bohemian pieces that Parikh absolutely swears by. Parikh is a no-fuss fashionista. Think oversized Céline pyjama separates and tie-dye Raquel Allegra dresses.
6. Kalyani Chawla
Boss Babe Credentials..
For a good 10 years and arguably till today, Christian Dior India has been synonymous with Kalyani Chawla. She oversaw the company’s growth strategy as Vice-President in the Indian market and was the brand ambassador for the brand since 2006. In 2016, she founded her own multi-label e-commerce website, Lulu & Sky, with partner Tina Antoniades.
Raiding Her Closet For…
The dresses! Kalyani lives by the mantra ‘When you can wear a dress, why wear anything else?’ Sure, she’s got plenty of tailored separates, but dresses are where her heart’s at. We’ll take the glitzy cocktail dresses and the long ones just in case a red carpet event presents itself.
Disclaimer:
Before you get all up in arms about us using the term #GirlBoss/#BossBabes, or #EntrepreneHER, because it belittles women’s efforts and makes it look like we’re patting them on the back saying “you did good for a girl”, let us explain something. While the term may be misconstrued and the argument that we are singling out women bosses based on their gender, is valid, we prefer to look at it as encouraging young women to be Girl Bosses because they see so many women doing it, it’s cool to be a #GirlBoss, and when you speak to millennials, you gotta speak the language. #AMIRIGHT, bruv?
