Even with rapid reading, you cannot be on the same fashion page as Sonam Kapoor. And it’s fitting that her home is named Shringar. Sonam grew up aesthetically aware, by virtue of her mother and maternal aunt being aesthetically inclined. Sunita Kapoor was a clothes designer before she became a full-time mother. She also made couture jewellery and collected antique jewellery.

“We’ve always known about paintings, antiques and clothes, thanks to our travels. Our house is filled with books on them. So we grew up knowing how to recognise real zari and the difference between silk and organza. Anuradha (Vakil) who did my clothes for Sawariya said I was the first 19-yearold she knew who had technical knowledge about textiles.”

With a films being a family business, she had access to the costume godown. “I used to go to RK studious where they keep all their movie costumes and you could just smell the age off all these clothes. That’s how I started loving vintage clothes.

My friends keep saying ”‘But they’re old. Someone’s worn them’ but that’s exactly why I like them. I keep imagining that some Hollywood star must have worn it, you know. So when I started travelling and had my own money, I started looking for stores where I could find clothes from the ‘60s and the ‘70s. By a happy co-incidence, all her friends have grown up to become a part of the fashion industry. Her roommate Christina from United World College, Singapore, does fashion forecasting in London and tells her the trends for each season. Two friends are assistant stylists in leading fashion magazines. Her best friend Shyla’s dad makes couture clothes for Valentino and other designers.

“But that doesn’t mean I’m going to go out and buy all of those. Fashion for me is not just about brands. It has to be something I find beautiful. I even have a 15 dollar dress. Her first trysts with fashion came in the form of hand-me-downs from her aunt and mother. Christian Dior bags from the late ‘80s, and Hermes bag that her aunt had tired of. She bought her own designer bag only when she was 18 — an orange and green Versace Versus handbag from Rome.

Like most of us, she always shops on a budget. “I feel really really bad buying jewellery, because of the recession. So when I’m abroad, if I buy one expensive thing, I usually shop in the sale rack of TopShop for the rest of the trip. If I buy one Chanel bag that I spend all my hard-earned money on, then maybe I’ll starve for the next three weeks!”

Case in point is the blue shift dress she wore to a premier. “And everyone wanted to know which designer was it. And it was from Warehouse for 30 dollars! I always mix it up. I was wearing this beautiful Ruth Miller sequinned sheath for the premier of Slumdog and everyone thought I was wearing Jimmy Choo shoes with it. They were from Nine West! For fifteen hundred bucks! On sale!”

She confesses that she is stuck in a Breakfast at Tiffany’s moment and thus always dresses chic. She knows that with her Indian face, dressing too sexy does not work for her. Even on the odd day she wears casuals, her jeans have to be either high-waisted or she’ll carry it off with a scarf and a hat. “I really enjoy dressing up. It’s creative.” And she also steals jeans (to wear rolled up) and glasses from her father since they have the same face.

In an ideal world, Sonam would not have the smallest room in her house that would force her to keep stuffing her clothes into her brother’s and sister’s rooms. At the same time, she wouldn’t have to sell an arm to buy a vintage Herve Leger bandage dress from the ‘90s.

Fashion Staples
A black bag, a brown bag, and 50 versions of the little black dress

Favourite Designers
Valentino, Herve Leger, Anamika khanna, Nachiket Barve... there are so many fabulous designers like there are so many great artists.