My style is very mercurial: Kalki Koechlin

Fashion and style is personality. It is what inside out. Often we hide our personality and are afraid of bringing it out in our clothes. So, II think when people are fashionable they are able to express themselves. Even if it is about being different from others, it is perfectly fine.

How do you interpret your personal style?

I will say that my style sense is very mercurial. There are days when I love to be all comfy, relaxed in casual wear and there are days when I go all matching, matching (laughs).

What is your feeling about wearing a combination of drama and fashion by Nitin Bal Chauhan?

Well, first when I saw the outfit, I was too excited to try it and once I tried I fell in love with his aesthetics. I was curious to know the mind behind the creation. Once he explained me that the collection is inspired from the poem of Robert Burns, Tam o’ Shanter and why he has used the white fish net, just to add positivity to it, I was all taken away. I feel he is a man of aesthetics and his collection is not just fashion but has a story behind it and has high level drama which is something out of the box. I loved the shoes very much, the extra detailing he has done to them.

‘Raise your bar’, this is what the evening is all about. How do you associate yourself to this idea?

(Smiles)…I feel I am someone who loves to push the envelope and add more to life. So, somewhere the theme of Cutty Sark this evening is apt for me too, as I firmly believe that life is about raising your bar and living at the edge.

Where do you shop from?

Well, if people think I am brand conscious, it’s a big NO. I am just like a common woman who love shopping in Sarojni Nagar and Janpath. I am the one who shops on Indian street, in malls of Dubai and even vintage stores of London and New York. I avoid high street brands, because, it is something that everyone in the industry wear, from where I belong to. So, for me my closet is a mix bag of everything and moreover, I just love Indian hand-woven tradition clothes by weavers. Those available in the market of Rajasthan and Gujarat fascinate me like anything and whenever I get a chance I add more of it to my closet. I do wear branded stuffs, but it’s not all the time. It all depends on my mood and occasion. At times, I feel easy to go in t-shirt and pajama from Sarojni Nagar. And there will be a time I would like to wear a classy gown and a statement accessory.

Who is your favorite fashion designer in India?

Sabyasachi Mukherjee. I feel he is the one who understands my psychology and I never get bored wearing his clothes. When I am confused I prefer any pick from Sabyasachi, it makes me confident and I am all set to rock.

What would you say is perfect companion for women, stilettos or clutch?

Any day it will be a stiletto. I just love them and never end adding more to my wardrobe.

Any faux pas that you feel Indian women should avoid?

I feel at times, women in India go beyond their comfort zone, just to clad the trend and that automatically becomes a faux pas. If you are not comfortable with something, please don’t wear it. I do the same. Even for ramp walk, I give time. I try the outfit and see if I am not comfortable with the creation, I see the things are made according to my comfort level. Be proud of what you are.